Reborn as the Villainess?!

The Lotus

As I sat in the dining room alone, I twirled a piece of meat in my fingers. For some reason today, I wasn't hungry.
I had no appetite.
With a sigh, I pushed away from the table and walked over to the double doors. I was alone today. Kael had left on an investigation with the knights, while Rounen and Lucius were at the academy. My sense of immunity had given me more confidence around here, and for some reason Kael hadn't been against my proposal to 'officially' go out into town—as long as I took an escort with me.
After my first encounter with Isa, I gave both her and the boy some extra coins as compensation for the emotional trauma I had put them through. I felt bad letting them witness me crushing the two men without restrain. After compensating them, Isa had agreed to meet again a few weeks later. Because I had no idea of the repercussions I would face upon returning to the estate, I had to give myself time before trying to get out again.
Strangely enough, after Alf took me back, I had found the maids looking for me, but I hadn't been missing long enough for them to suspect I could've travelled outside the estate and returned in the time. Once I did return, I ended up with a severe migraine unlike anything I had ever experienced back on earth.
It was so strong, as if something dark was jiggling inside my brain, that it practically knocked me out for a few days.
During that time, I had vivid dreams of something chasing me after catching my trail. The further I ran, the closer it seemed to get. It's presence was overwhelming and filled me with fear. As if something had locked onto me and wouldn't stop until I was dead.
I was surprised one more when I woke up and found Kael sitting beside my bed. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even, almost as if he were in a trance.
Almost as if he was asleep.
Before I could manage more than that, the headache had pulled me into a state of unconsciousness again. When I awoke next, he was nowhere to be seem. Almost as if I had dreamt the whole thing up.
A few weeks later, after I had recovered, I was surprised after heading out with the escort to find Isa waiting. Since then, we had agreed to meet regularly while I provided her with some tips I had learnt from my own training. Like a sponge, she soaked it all in, seemingly completely unfazed by my appearance. Initially in the first few meetups I had kept myself disguised, but eventually decided to reveal my hair and eyes. Although shocked, her expression didn't change. Perhaps she was young enough to not yet be influenced by the adults and gossip around her?
Although I never explicitly mentioned my family name, I suspected that she was smart enough to not be completely unaware.
In those few weeks I had managed to find some time alone. In this time, I opened the book I had purchased at the markets. Inside it revealed strange writing that looked like more dated symbols than that of this current time. There was also many symbols.
Summoning magic. Nyx was intrigued.
Summoning? How useless.
Nyx was strangely complacent. Be careful what you say. Don't shut a door that may be your only escape.
Her words made sense, but the words in this book didn't. Well it's useless anyway, I can't even read it.
I'm sure if you searched hard enough, you could find somebody who might.
I leaned back and sighed, staring at the soft curtains that billowed in the evening air. It was strangely calm and beautiful, with a warm afternoon air. And where would I find someone like that? They would have to be crazy to want to read a book about summoning magic from a small girl.
Nyx floated down from the ceiling and landed gracefully on my bed, her eyes holding many secrets. We don't need someone crazy. But one step short of crazy, what do you get?
Obsessed.
She tutted. Passionate.
I rolled my eyes. That's great. But where would I even find someone like that? I've barely been outside of this estate.
She rested on the bed, with the filtered light from the window passing straight through her. Despite being the god of the night, she cast no shadow.
Ironic, really.
You do enjoy making things more difficult than what they are. Why not try this? What do people who are passionate do?
Although annoyed at her jab, I tried thinking. Pursue? Investigate?
Almost. What do they do when there are others around them?
Share their knowledge?
Bingo! And what do people who are passionate and want to share their knowledge do?
I was beginning to catch on. Teach.
Nyx was practically spoon feeding me. And where do these lovely passionate teachers go?
I was excited. School!
Gove the girl a medal. Who knew you were so smart? And who also happens to be attending an academy at this moment, providing us with the perfect pretence?
I jumped. Rounen and Lucius!
Why hadn't I thought of that?
I had my answer. No sooner had this thought passed through my mind did I turn it into action. That afternoon, I informed the butler and maids that I would be visiting my brothers at the academy tomorrow. I even got permission from Kael, who agreed without any hesitation.
It almost made me want to question him, but I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
The next morning I had to rise up before the sun as it would take some time for us to travel by carriage. Lettie had prepared me a rather expensive outfit that practically slipped through my fingers. The lace was beautiful.
"It's gorgeous." I gave a little twirl and watched as the fabric fanned out around me.
It was at times like these, with all these layers and shoes, that I found myself amazed by this world. Back on earth, I sometimes couldn't even be bothered to put on a bra before I went out.
Now I had so many layers on here, that I could have been a nun back on earth.
The dress had a mixture of black and silver trim, with red accents. The trifecta colours of the DeVillanova household.
"Where did you get this Lettie?!"
Lettie was fixing up the last few buttons on the bodice. "I didn't."
I turned my head. "Really? Did Clara?"
Another maid that loved to dress me up.
"The Duke did."
My mind was static. "Papa did?"
Whenever I had mentioned Kael by his name around the maids, they had always looked as if they were about to faint. Each time, they asked me not to call him so. It became so frequent and annoying that I eventually gave up and conceded so I wouldn't have to deal with the reprimanding every time. Whenever I spoke of Kael to others, I referred to him as 'papa'.
Now, I didn't even think twice.
I also got the vague feeling that Kael was more inclined to agree with me when I called him Papa as well.
Still, I couldn't believe that Kael had gotten me this dress. It was stunning.
So different to the usual training clothes I wore. Once we left, the sky had turned from a ink black to a dark blue, making the outline of the horizon barely visible.
My eyes were puffy from having to rise at this ungodly hour. In fact, I spent half my time in the carriage asleep. Being able to snooze while sitting up was a talent I prided myself in. Unlike cars, there was no suspension or shock absorbers on a carriage. The wheels were hard and without rubber. This all meant that the slightest bumps were painfully obvious to the butt. Therefore the fact that I still managed to sleep despite that was a talent I made sure to be thankful for every time. Otherwise the bumps would drive me mad.
Fortunately, coming from a Duke's household, it meant I got to use the more luxurious carriages. This meant I got to sit on cushioned seats and have insulated walls so the frost of the outside couldn't seep in. I also got beautiful fabric curtains to hide the horrible face I made while I slept.
By the time we reached the academy, the sun was well and truly in the sky.
When I arrived, a messenger was sent ahead of me to get my brothers, yet I told them not to alert my brothers of my arrival until they finished their classes.
While waiting, I was taken to the official reception where delegates of the school would officially welcome the Duke's daughter. Every time they approached me, I could always notice the sweat on their brow. I would be nervous too, if I had to welcome a Duke's daughter that theoretically had the power to end my career if she didn't like me.
Although they had initially been wary of me, with my rumoured background of being an adopted daughter of poor upbringing, my appearance quickly quelled any suspicions.
After all, when all three of us siblings got together, there was no denying our red eyes. The only red eyes in the empire.
I could still feel their apprehensive gazes whenever they got close. Despite a Duke's daughter, I was still part demon after all. Even though they did try offering me refreshments, I did them a favour and refused, leaving straight to the garden. Although I was not planning on attending this academy, I still loved visiting the garden. It contained otherworldly plants and creatures that I had only seen in the books I read in the library.
It was one of the many gardens on campus. But this one happened to be a large enclosed space called the 'flower atrium' with its own little river that ran of into a pond. The sound of flowing water always helped to calm my mind. Although there was plenty of green plants, there was also some purple and silver plants that looked so exotic that I felt they should be poisonous. There were even times I would see some small glowing creatures rush away as I walked past—all the more reminding me that the gardens here contained magic. There were even a few birds which would whistle beautiful songs while ruffling their colourful feathers which would glint in the sunlight.
There had also been a time when I had entered this garden in the late evening when the sun had set, and I had been completely astounded to find a majority of the plants here glowing. There were some that would only glow after touching or moving past them, providing a beautiful light trail behind me as I walked through. Truly like magic.
Throughout this garden with the many exotic plants and creatures, there was one flower I liked the most. It was the one which filled me with the greatest nostalgia.
As I drew closer to the pond, I saw them in full bloom. I don't know what spell had been cast here, but the flowers were always in full bloom.
"Nelumbo nucifera."
The voice behind me made me jump around. There was a man with bright blonde hair and emerald green eyes.
"Excuse me?" Was he speaking another language?
His eyes glinted. "You were staring at it so intensely, I thought you might want to know it's name."
Ah. The plant. He was talking about the name of the plant. "Is that what it's called here?"
He smiled, with his eyes watching my every move. "Do you perhaps know it by another name, miss?"
I was completely thrown off by how unaffected he was after seeing my eyes. He was either dumb, not knowing what my red eyes meant, or...
He was powerful.
There were three other dukedoms in this empire. Kael was the Duke of the West, so this could possibly mean that he could have been from one of the others.
"The lotus." I felt unsure of myself, being unable to pin who he was. "The lotus flower."
Although I had been putting off memorising the aristocracy of the empire, I was beginning to regret that decision now.
He was graceful as he stepped to the side of the pond and reached down in one fluid movement, picking it off the surface of the water. It glistened in the light.
"I have never heard of that name, although it does seem quite fitting. A lotus." He mused, looking at the flower in almost detached amusement.
His eyes then moved to me, I felt that strange feeling again. It was as if he knew who I was, but I didn't know him—yet I should.
It made me uncomfortable.
"Surely you know it's meaning?"
I was no connoisseur of flowers, but I did remember some stuff from earth. "Purity?"
I had no idea where he was leading this conversation. I also hated the fact that I was being led in this scenario. He was confident.
"To some extent. But there is one definition to which I think embodies it's true meaning."
He gaze was strong as he walked over to place it in my hands. Without breaking my gaze, he lifted my hand—as per the customs of this empire—and kissed the back of it. "Rebirth."
A jolt ran through me as he mentioned those words.
It was a word that ran through my head each morning, making me think everything was a dream. Perhaps that was the true reason I had grown fond of this flower in this life.
He said the meaning with such confidence that I was almost suspicious. I was about to question him when I noticed he had not yet let go of my hand. Instead, he released it with a smile. "I did not take you one for swordsmanship."
"Just how–" I was about ask before I caught myself. "Ah, the callouses"
His bright green eyes matched the greenery around him. "You are a truly interesting person, Miss Lotus."
I pulled my hand away. "I'll let you have your secrets if you'll let me have mine."
There was a reason he had not said his name yet. I could see his amusement at my response.
I did not even try to hide how annoyed I was. If was going to pry into my life, there was no reason I couldn't do the same.
He obviously understood my meaning and took a step back before bowing (more empire etiquette that I was still not used to).
"Although I must cut our time short, it was truly a pleasure meeting you, Miss Lotus."
I did my best to hide my annoyance at his new nickname for me, but I couldn't bite back because I didn't know what house he was from. "The pleasure was all mine, sir."
With one final smile, he left just as quietly as he had arrived. I was still irked that I hadn't been able to sense him. Yet it did make sense for some magical students here to be at a higher level. He must have been a more advanced student. He presence alone could attest to that.
It was suffocating.
No sooner had he left did I hear noise from outside the atrium.
It seemed as if my brothers had arrived.