"I don't remember telling you my name, My Lady?"
The two girls were locked in a serious staredown or maybe it was just Ina because Amara was avoiding her intense gaze, eyes darting everywhere else.
"W-Well… I… that's not important, Ina! What's important is… please trust my word," Amara stammered, her voice trembling as she spoke.
Ina let out a loud scoff and shook her head at her.
"Then, if you please, excuse me, My Lady."
She said and cracked the door open, only to catch a glimpse of Leon and Hector chatting in a shed across from the library, prompting her to immediately close the door again –
Leon was still there!
She really didn't want to spend another moment with her, but it was better than letting Amara run into Leon. She could not allow Amara to walk through that door at any cost
Forcing a smile, she beamed at Amara.
"If you don't mind, My Lady, may I accompany you as you look around the library?"
She knew Amara would likely reject her proposal. After all, Amara was proud and never considered a commoner to be her equal, but she just could not think of any other words to persuade her to stay.
"Huh?" She found herself quite shocked at Ina's request –
Oh… did those amber eyes just smile at me?
A giddy warmth spread through her body, making it impossible to stay still.
"Of course! Please do," she chirped, grinning widely at Ina.
Ina looked at Amara with her wide grin and sparkling eyes, clearly surprised –
Did she just agree to my request? Why is she so happy about it?
Amara then led the way, glancing nervously from side to side.
She always let Clara walk beside her for a reason, walking in front of people made her feel like extremely uncomfortable.
Her staggered pace finally tested Ina's patience.
"My Lady, may I walk first ?", Ina asked.
"Yes. Please do! " She immediately accepted Ina's request and breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Amara watched Ina wander among the shelves with a small smile tugging at her lips.
She caught glimpses of Ina's delighted expression and couldn't help but notice how genuinely thrilled the girl seemed.
That was when a line from the novel came to mind –
'Ina wished to stay at the library longer, that moment she regretted coming to the Academy as a maid for the first time'
She had even screenshot it, thrilled at the thought that the female lead might finally start doing something for herself.
Amara let out a deep sigh, shaking her head inwardly – Ina stayed as naive and devoid of self-love as ever through all the chapters I've read.
Meanwhile…
Ina knew her circumstances weren't much better in her present life, but the chance to wander the library again filled her with extreme joy –
Perhaps in this life, I can finally master magic with these books, she thought, unable to hide her excitement.
She remembered her only previous visit, when she had discovered a shelf called The Beginning of Magic, and now she eagerly searched for it again.
She picked up her pace when she finally located the shelf which was two aisles ahead. To avoid drawing the librarian's attention, she moved sideways between the shelves, letting them obscure her from Amara while giving her a chance to peek at The Beginning of Magic on its table.
Ina's plan worked perfectly. Amara was still two shelves away when Ina began reading the contents from The Beginning of Magic's Shelf, her eyes were scanning them with barely contained excitement.
In her rush, Ina paid little attention to her surroundings. She didn't realize a boy had been quietly following her until he stopped and leaned against the shelf beside hers.
"What a surprise," he said, walking toward her. "Why is a maid left here all alone?"
Her heart skipped a deep beat.
She knew exactly who he was.
He bent slightly to examine the shelf, his blonde hair brushing over her line of sight.
"Magic is fascinating… if only you weren't of common blood," he said, turning to smile at her.
Ina immediately stumbled backward as she watched him stood upright, facing her fully.
"Well, don't be so disheartened. Even common blood has one thing in common with us, beauty." His tone was light, playful, almost mocking. "Tell me, may I know which Lord or Lady you serve? I am Roderick Benatte, the Second Prince of Renatus. I would like to have a word with them."
Roderick's lips curved into a gentle smile, but Ina knew that smile far too well and the poison that hid behind it, the cruelty woven into every curve of his expression.
If she carried a bitter grudge against Amara, then for Roderick she would have gladly wrung the very breath from his lungs.
Her hands trembled, though not from fear anymore.
Slowly and deliberately, she drew on her rage, letting it burn through her terror. The thought of unleashing her impure magic on him filled her not with dread, but with a dark, thrilling anticipation –
No, she would love nothing more than to see him suffer.
But before Ina could act, a hand seized her arm and pulled her back, flinging her just far enough that her view was suddenly blocked by the figure standing before her –
Amara?
"Why is a busybody like you loitering here, Prince Roderick?" Amara's voice cut through the air, sharp and scornful. She had heard every word of his self-introduction and had rushed straight to Ina's side without hesitation.
"Oh… Lady Amara?" Roderick blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
Of all people, he had not expected the haughty daughter of Orien's Cardinal to stand in his way. If the beautiful maid truly belonged to Amara, then approaching her any further might bring him more trouble than he cared for.
He narrowed his eyes at the inconvenience.
Just moments earlier he had seen his half brother Theo leaving the library, happy and smiling. For someone who wore gloom as naturally as his own skin, that fleeting spark of joy had been startling. It was enough to pique Roderick's curiosity and draw him inside the library, determined to uncover what had caused such a shift.
"Indeed, I am a busy person," he said smoothly, his tone layered with feigned politeness. "But I am also a new student at this Academy, and I found myself curious about the contents of the library, Lady Amara."
As he spoke, Roderick bowed respectfully to Amara, his lips curved in a gentle smile.
Amara returned the bow, though her face remained perfectly expressionless.
"My lady, if I may ask, is that girl a maid of yours?"
Amara, too, hadn't expected to find Roderick in the library. He was supposed to be busy entertaining the descendants of nobles, mocking Prince Theo – the cursed prince no one dared to approach.
"Not exactly," she answered reluctantly –
Well, that wouldn't be bad..
But Ina just wasn't her maid, though Amara secretly wished she were.
At her response, Roderick let out a relieved laugh, reassured that he could proceed with his initial plan.
Seeing his reaction, Amara regretted her words instantly. She knew all too well who Roderick Benatte was – the shameless, arrogant bastard who lusted after the female lead. Ina. And worse, Leon would eventually use Ina to curry favor with him. That was the last thing Amara wanted Ina to endure.
Her fists clenched as she steeled her resolve.
If Roderick thought he could lay even a finger on Ina, he was gravely mistaken –
Don't you dare come at her!
"Well then, I suppose we will be seeing each other often. We still have long years awaiting us at the Academy," Roderick said, his gaze fixed squarely on Ina.
"I should take my leave. As a prince, I have important matters to attend to," he added, drawing out the word Prince with deliberate emphasis, making sure Ina heard every ounce of his privileged status.
Amara exhaled in quiet relief as Roderick's figure finally disappeared among the shelves.
"That was close," she muttered under her breath before turning to Ina. "You must never get involved with that person."
Her eyes, however, lingered on the direction Roderick had gone, sharp and unyielding.
"Why?"
Ina dared herself to ask, circling from Amara's back to stand directly before her.
Arms folded and gaze sharp, she fixed Amara with a judging stare – Why do you act, talk, and carry yourself so differently than the Amara I knew? she inwardly wondered, her brows knitting with suspicion.
Amara met Ina's intent amber eyes, studying the slight curve of her lips, the tension in her brow - every detail of her unspoken curiosity – What would I lose if I told her the truth of my reincarnation? she asked herself.
She cleared her throat, her expression hardening into a mask of resolve. Yet the thought lingered – She won't believe me anyway, so why not try? Nodding slightly, Amara let a faint smile tug at her lips.
"Ina, I've known you long before you've ever known me," she began.
Ina's eyes flew wide at those words – Did she… regress too? The thought struck her like lightning.
But that alone couldn't explain the difference before her eyes. The Amara she knew - truly knew - would never have stood here like this. Even if she had regressed, Ina was certain the old Amara would have come for her life the very moment they crossed paths - slaying her outright for being the cause of her death. If not her, then Leon. Or perhaps both of them at once, without a shred of hesitation.
"I don't know if you'll believe me, but I…" Amara hesitated, her voice faltering before she pushed the words out. "…I am not Amara. I came from another world."
"Huh?" Ina tilted her head, brows furrowed – What is that supposed to mean?
"My name is Giselle Barn. I died in my world at the age of twenty-four… and reincarnated here, as Amara."
Ina's mouth closed slowly. She didn't speak, didn't move – her mind struggling to string together sense from Amara's strange words. None of it fit. None of it made sense.
Amara caught the bewilderment clouding Ina's amber eyes. She had expected disbelief, but seeing it so plainly still stung. But she had already made her choice. If she had begun the truth, she would not stop now.
"I read this world… as a story," she continued firmly, "back in that other world."
"A… story?" Ina blinked. That one word, at least, she understood.
Amara's gaze softened as she studied Ina's reaction. For a fleeting second, something almost like recognition flickered in Ina's face – Why does it feel like she's half-convinced already? Could it be… she truly believes me?
The thought tangled inside her until she had to take a step back, lowering herself to the floor. She leaned against the bookshelf behind her, her crimson eyes troubled yet resolute –
If this can make her believe me… if this can save her… then I'll say everything. I'll make her understand. That's how I'll protect her.
Reaching out her hand toward Ina, Amara let a gentle smile bloom on her lips. "Come. Sit. I'll tell you everything."
Her heart spoke in silence – The decision is yours, Ina. Please take my hand. Only you can change your fate.
But Ina didn't take her hand.
Instead, she lowered herself to the floor beside Amara, leaving a small space between them.. quiet, guarded, but listening.
Amara's smile deepened – relief flooding her chest.
"Good." She exhaled softly. "Okay, this world…"
And so, Amara began to explain. Everything she knew about Physis world and the story – its paths, its pitfalls, the cruel fates awaiting those bound to it. She spoke of the future Ina was destined for, of the way the story unfolded… and finally admitted the limits of her memory, that she had abandoned the novel halfway, and could only recall fragments of what was to come.
When she finished, her voice dropped to a near whisper.
"Ina…" Amara finally glanced at her, but Ina's face was hidden, her arms folded over her knees and her head buried against them.
Is she sleeping? – Amara wondered, but the thought vanished the moment Ina abruptly rose to her feet and turned toward the library doors.
"Wait!" Amara's voice broke the silence, sharper than she intended.
Ina froze mid-step.
"If you ever come to believe me," Amara said quickly, her voice softening, "then come to me. I will help you in any way I can, as your older…" She faltered, her throat tightening on the word. "…sister, Ina."
For a brief heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then Ina walked on, her steps steady, but Amara thought, no, she felt, that she had heard the faintest sound of a sniffle before the door closed behind her.
_________________________________________
The moment Ina stepped out of the library, she broke into a run, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. She wished she could have laughed off Amara's words, dismissed them as nonsense.
But she couldn't.
Because everything Amara said was true. Even the things that only she and Leon knew.
Her legs carried her farther and farther until she stumbled into the old shed behind the boys' dormitory. She collapsed inside, hugging her knees tightly to her chest –
I used to come here whenever something bad happened. I would cry alone and stare up at the sky, praying for a better life. But all those horrible memories, all those terrible things that happened to me… it was only because this world was a damn story?
She lifted her head, glaring at the slice of sky above her through the cracks in the wood. Her tears kept falling, burning hot trails down her face.
"All of that torment in my life was just for someone's mere enjoyment?!" Her voice broke as she moaned the words, then screamed until her throat ached.
Even if her present body was untainted by the monsters' hands, nothing - absolutely nothing – could erase the memories etched into her mind.
They haunted her, brutal and enduring, forever vivid no matter how she tried to forget.
Ina stayed there in the shed, sometimes sobbing, sometimes falling into numb silence, until the sun sank and the cries of crickets filled the night air.
She then finally rose to her feet, unsteady but resolute.
When she lifted her gaze, her eyes caught sight of a faint glow from a small building across the grounds.
She drew in a deep breath as something inside her snapped into place –
I will not let anyone control me ever again.
She dashed toward the light, lungs burning, until she reached the door. With desperate panting, she knocked, and the door swung open.
"Please… help me, Ama– Giselle"