A few months passed after Ash and Deux left for school.

I begged them to send me letters because well...isn't that what always happens in anime when male leads leave the heroine?

I mean...I know I'm not the heroine...alright?!

I'm not delusional.

I'm the villainess of this otome game world.

...But I can at least pretend to be the protagonist of my own story!

Yeah...

I'm delusional.

Anyway.

Ash and Deux have been sending me letters ever since they left for school.

Today, I received two letters.

I opened the first one slowly and read the contents inside.

— Dear Sister,

Writing letters is extremely bothersome and annoying. I don't understand why I have to do this at all.

The only reason I am writing this letter to you is due to the fact that you'll yell at me if I don't, which would be extremely annoying. I am not lying. I hate you.

Going to school has been fine I guess. The professors here are annoying but are more normal than our original tutor, Sir Maddy. I was surprised at first because I believed that all instructors would be pedophilic like Sir Maddy. It turns out that only Sir Maddy is special in this regard.

It also seems that Sir Maddy is quite famous. Everyone knows who he is and they often whisper about him behind my back. Is Sir Maddy really that legendary?

Also, the girls here are annoying just like you.

Is it absolutely necessary for them to sneak up behind me and cling to my shirt?! They act so desperately that it's almost scary. I have to watch my back every hour of the day now thanks to my newfound group of female stalkers.

I'll be fine though.

If any of those girls put their hands on me, I'll just use some of my stealth magic to leave.

Anyway, I hate you. Don't expect another letter.

I hate you, Ash

—

I chuckled at his poor attempt at insulting me throughout the letter.

It looks like Ash isn't having too much difficulty getting used to his school life...I guess...

In the game, Ash had a few female stalkers...but none of them were as desperate as he was describing in his letter.

I wonder what changed.

I sighed.

I opened up the second letter that I received, which I assumed came from Deux.

—

I'm doing well.

Deux

—

Would it kill him to send me a long letter?!

Jeez.

But I inwardly smiled.

Short and straight to the point.

That's exactly how Deux always speaks.

I tossed the two letters onto my bed and ran outside of my room.

Along the way, I passed my father and the head maid, Sophie. The two of them were having a conversation about something and they seemed to be having fun.

I left the two of them alone.

My father and Sophie were basically great friends at this point and I didn't want to get in their way.

I opened the door to my backyard and stepped outside.

Then, I immediately took in a huge inhale of fresh air.

Before you guys get a weird misunderstanding, I'm just going to tell you all that I AM NOT an outdoor's person.

I hate going outside.

It sucks.

But...when you're in a magical world without modern technology...the only thing you can do is to do something educational...or to go outside.

And I am not planning on doing something educational.

Heh.

I'm already smart enough~

"Cordelia? What are you doing out here...?" I heard someone ask as I was taking in another deep breath of fresh air.

I turned my head to see Ace flying toward me.

"Oh! This is where you are, Ace," I gasped in surprise.

"Yes...I was planning on enjoying the clear weather and fresh air," Ace said as he turned his head to look at the perfectly clear sky.

"Really?! I was planning on doing the same thing! What a coincidence," I chuckled.

"...I want to...Can I ask you something, Cordelia?"

"Hmm? Yeah, sure."

"...Do you think...it's possible for me to blend in with humans when we go to Greenwood Academy...?" Ace asked with a small sigh.

Oh...

So this was his problem...

A few weeks ago, my father and I visited the royal palace.

There, we talked to the king, who brought up an interesting idea.

.

.

A Few Weeks Ago

.

.

"Good afternoon, Uncle Gloria," I said to the king of our country with a small courtsey.

"Cordelia! Oh, I missed you so much!" the king gasped as he ran over to me.

The king picked me up and began to spin me around in circles like I was a rag doll.

How does he have the energy to spin a fifteen-year-old female around without any difficulty?!

I mean, I know that Uncle Gloria is literally the strongest person in our entire country...but...isn't he...in his early 50's right now...?

I stared at our king's face closely.

What. The. Actual. Heck.

Why does he look young enough to be my older brother?!

Oh. My. Gods.

Does he not age?!

Why does he look so young?!

What do you have to eat to look like a teenager at the age of fifty?!

Even my dad has a few wrinkles and lines around his face by now!

Is it because the king is so strong that it's impossible for him to grow old...???

"Cordelia! Every time I see you come here, you look more and more beautiful!" the king chuckled as he placed me back down onto the ground.

"You're joking with me, Uncle Gloria. Every time I come to see you, it always seems like you become younger and younger. In fact, I would easily mistake you as someone of my age if I didn't know any better," I smiled honestly.

"Oh! Cordelia, you're so sweet!" the king squealed as he brought me into a tight squeeze.

Help.

I need air!

"NO! Get your hands off of my daughter this instant," my father screeched as he pulled me away from the king.

"A-Alastair...?!" the king stuttered in surprise.

"I'll give you a warning...If you touch my daughter one more time...I'll have to eliminate you..." my father murmured under his breath.

"...But...I thought we were best friends..."

"Nothing is more important than my daughter. Touch her...and you die."

"...Alastair..."

"The only person who can hug her is me. There's nothing you can do to make me hand over my daughter to yo-"

"I order you, as the king of our nation, to let me hug your daughter right now," the king said with an authoritative voice.

Silence filled the room.

"...I thought you said you would never order me to do anything against my will..." my father murmured after a while.

"This is a completely different matter."

"If this is how you're going to play it...then I must refuse your order."

"You aren't listening to your king's orders, Alastair?"

"No, I absolutely can't obey your orders, Sebastian."

"This means...you're willing to commit treason for your daughter...?"

"If it's for my daughter, I'll do anything."

"..."

"There's no way I'm going to let a guy like you give my daughter hugs. That's final."

My father and the king gave each other a long death stare.

No way...Am I so amazing that they are willing to fight over me?!

I mean...I know I'm the most perfect noble lady in the world...but they don't have to go that far...right?

"W-Wait! Please don't fight...it hurts my heart to see you two angry at one another..." I said with fake tears streaming down my face.

The two of them froze and turned to look at my fake-tear display.

"...She's an...angel..." they both said at the same time.

"Y-You're so sweet...!" the king gasped as he tried to reach out his hand to grab me.

But my father swatted his arm out of the way.

"Sweetie...! You're such an angel for caring about your father so much!" he said as he brought me into a warm hug.

"DARN! I wish I had Cordelia as my daughter...! You lucked out...Alastair..." the king groaned.

"My daughter is mine."

"...She'll be my daughter one day..." the king muttered under his breath.

"Ugh! This is why I shouldn't have engaged her off to your son!" my father yelled in regret.

"Mwahahaha...This is you're fault, Alastair. You can't blame anyone but yourself."

My father and the king continued like this for about an hour before we actually started talking about the main business.

"Ahem. Anyway...Do you know why I called you all the way here, Cordelia?" Uncle Gloria asked.

"I have a vague idea..." I replied softly.

"I called you here to talk about how both you and my son, Florence, will be entering Greenwood Academy within a few months."

"I see..."

It made sense.

Florence is the crown prince of the nation...and I'm engaged to him.

Going to school...is something I'll actually need to prepare for.

"By normal circumstances...you two would be enrolled regularly as normal students...but..." the king said before his voice trailed off.

"...?"

"The immense amount of magic and strength you two received from the gods is...difficult to overlook."

Oh.

Yeah...I forgot that I'm overpowered.

Actually...all the male leads, Ace, and I are overpowered.

I have water, ice, illusion, creation, destruction, and copy magic all for myself.

Easily, I am able to control all of my magic attributes...except for my copy magic...I haven't figured out how copy magic works yet...

It's a little difficult to learn how to use copy magic...because no one else other than me can use it.

If the first hero was still alive, I would ask him how he was able to use copy magic...but he's dead...so I can't find out.

Either way, I'm still stronger than a majority of the country.

After training under Sir Maddy for a few years...I was ready to take over the world.

"Without a doubt...many people with bad intentions will try to assassinate you before you two are able to rise as king and queen," the king continued.

Sorry...Uncle Gloria...but once the heroine makes her appearance...there's a high chance that I won't be our country's queen in the future.

"I see..." I replied after a while.

"To protect my son, I will give him a thousand royal guards, a hundred knights, and a familiar of his own during his time at Greenwood Academy," the king said casually as if everything he was saying wasn't ridiculous.

"U-Uh...Forgive me for saying this but...I believe that the amount of protection is a little excessive..."

"No...In truth...I am probably underestimating the number of guards I need around my son. He has many more enemies than you think...and I refuse to have even a small chance that my son will be assassinated."

"Okay then..."

"But for you...I have something else in mind."

"Hmm?"

"I will utilize the fact that Ace has the ability to transform into a human through human blood."

"Huh?"

I turned my head around to look at Ace, who was laying behind me the entire time.

We both gave each other a look.

"I will bend the rules a little bit...and enroll Ace as a full-fledged student at Greenwood Academy. His dragon-identity as your familiar will be completely sealed from the public."

"What...?!"

"All of the nobles in Silverbell are aware that you, their soon-to-be crown princess, have a dragon familiar. However, none of them know that your familiar has a human form."

"I don't understand..."

"You will go to school with Ace. However, no one other than your closest comrades will know that Ace is actually a dragon."

"..."

"We absolutely can't let the students of the school discover that Ace is by your side. If they do, rumors will spread, more people will be after your head, and also..." the king said before stopping abruptly.

"Uncle Gloria? Are you going to continue?" I asked.

"I can't tell you the reason why Ace must absolutely not be seen...it is highly confidential. However...if the time ever comes...I will tell you."

"...I see."

"Anyway, Ace and your personal servant, Grey, will be your guards during your time at school."

"...Thank you for not giving me too many guards..."

"No...I didn't give you as many guards as I gave Florence because, unlike him, you don't need it."

"Hmm?"

"Ace is most likely stronger than all of the protection I am giving Florence combined. There is no need for me to give you that many guards if that is the case. Also, Grey is capable and smart enough to be your aide...the two of them together will be an unbreachable force."

"But aren't you planning on giving Prince Gloria a familiar of his own too, Uncle Gloria? Why will Prince Gloria need so many guards if he is getting a familiar on his side as well?"

"I am definitely planning on giving Florence a powerful familiar...however...no matter how many familiars I give him...none of them would be able to match with the strength of a dragon."

"..."

"Ace is a very special familiar, Cordelia. Forming a contract with a dragon is nearly impossible...but you are walking around with one at such a young age..."

"I see...Ace...Are you going to be okay if you accept what Uncle Gloria is asking you?" I asked as I turned to face Ace.

"Please...Ace...I need your help to protect Cordelia...but, not as a dragon...I need you to protect Cordelia as a human," Uncle Gloria pleaded as he suddenly dipped his head into a respectful bow.

"Sebastian?! You shouldn't need to bow! You're too high of status to-" my father tried to correct the king before he was stopped.

"Alastair...I am asking for a favor. Just because I have a high status doesn't mean I am free from being polite," Uncle Gloria chuckled.

"...If I must...then I will...No matter the method...I was already planning on protecting Cordelia at school," Ace replied slowly.

"Thank you," Uncle Gloria said as he bowed once more to Ace.

"However...to remain as a human...I would need to drink human blood once every day. If I don't manage to consistently drink human blood...I will turn back into a dragon against my will," Ace continued.

"That is fine, Ace. I'm sure Cordelia will be happy to supply her blood to you every day," Uncle Gloria smiled.

Yay!

That means everything is fine an-

Wait.

I'm going to supply Ace with blood every day...?!

I'LL DIE!

There's no way a person can be sucked of blood every day without dying, right?!

RIGHT?!

"Uncle Gloria! Wait! There are major flaws to this plan!" I yelled trying to point out the obvious mistake in the plan.

"We will work out the kinks before you and Florence enter school. For now, we will be sticking with the rough draft of our plan," Uncle Gloria said.

This is a bad idea.

"But-" I tried to yell.

"Don't worry, Cordelia. Your protection system at school will be decided and edited by my closest aides. I understand there are obvious problems...but we will fix them. For now, enjoy your days peacefully as you have always done."

"...O-Okay then...I trust you, Uncle Gloria," I murmured.

After all of that, we went home.

.

.

Back to the Present

.

.

"Do you think...it's possible for me to blend in with humans when we go to Greenwood Academy...?" Ace asked with a small sigh.

"I think...that it'll be hard to get used to...but I'm sure that you'll be able to succeed," I replied reassuringly.

"...But I'm not a human, Cordelia. What if someone is able to discover my dragon identity?" he asked with doubt still clear in his voice.

"Trust me...the way you speak is extremely similar to a human's. No one will be able to figure it out."

"But..."

I sighed and turned my head to face my backyard garden.

The breeze was so lovely today and the flowers were blooming with petals full of vibrant colors.

I didn't know who the gardener of our backyard garden was but...whoever they were...they were doing a good job.

"I know you're stressed out about acting like a human, Ace, but...we won't have to go to school for another few months. Let's enjoy our free time before classes take over our lives and worry about the small details later," I said as I turned to face Ace again.

"...I see. What you say is true..."

"Do you want to take a small walk with me?"

"Yes...I think I would enjoy a walk..." Ace replied with a nod.

I smiled in response to his agreement and began to stroll through our backyard with slow, small steps.

Today was really nice.

I have never seen a more perfect day than this one.

The sun was high in the sky, and it's warmth created a cozy effect.

The sky was clear without a single cloud in sight.

Flower petals were dancing in the air as the wind blew them from one place to the next.

But...

Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing.

The flower petals stopped dancing.

The sky became tinted gray with a haze that I couldn't identify.

And the temperature of the area around me dropped.

Not even the warmth of the sun's rays could reach me.

Everything around me was at a standstill.

The flower petals that were once fluttering around like butterflies stayed still in the air.

They floated and didn't fall to the ground.

What. Is. Happening.

"C-Cordelia...? Am I going insane...?" Ace asked as he turned his head to examine the area around us just like I was.

"Uhhh...I think both of us are going insane," I replied.

Nothing was moving around us and the world was tinted gray.

I gave a look at Ace.

Time was frozen.

That was the only thing that made sense.

Someone had stopped time...

...So why was Ace and I still able to move...?

"Do you know what's happening, Cordelia...?" Ace asked again but with more urgency this time.

"No...I don't know what is happening. This is bad though...really bad," I replied with a little bit of fear in my voice.

Right now, the world around us was frozen in time.

...How are you supposed to unfreeze time?!

What if we're stuck like this?!

Just as I was about to go in all-out panic mode, a voice spoke from somewhere.

"We meet again, little girl..."

Huh?!

Where did that voice come from?!

"H-Hello?!" I yelled out into the open.

"Cordelia...Do you know whoever that man is...?" Ace asked with clear confusion on his face.

"Of course she knows who I am. There's no way she would forget me."

The man spoke confidently as if he actually believed that I remembered him.

But...

Unfortunately for the man talking...I had no idea who he was.

"Uh...Sorry to break it to you, but I completely forgot who you are..." I said out loud nonchalantly.

Who the heck was this guy and why should I remember who he is...???

"...How did you forget me...?"

"Uh...Is there a reason why I should know who you are...? I don't think we've met before..." I muttered.

"How is it possible for you to forget a man who is powerful enough to stop the flow of time itself...?!"

"I don't know...Maybe it's because you aren't a very memorable person..."

"...No...it's okay. We haven't met in over a decade. So it's natural that you would forget someone like me. You were only four when I met you..."

"It sounds like you're in denial...Also...Huh?! When...?" I asked in surprise.

"...How have you not figured it out yet??? I was the time-stopping man you met in the forest when you were four!"

...What did I do in the forest when I was four...?

Uh...I'm pretty sure I went in the forest to save Ash and...then...

"Look, I know I haven't been around since Chapter 14, but you didn't have to forget me. Even I'm a little hurt by that..."

"...How did you just break the fourth wall so calmly?!" I yelled in shock.

This guy knew how to break the fourth wall too??

"I've always enjoyed breaking things that shouldn't be broken. Breaking people...breaking the flow of time...and breaking the fourth wall are enjoyable pastimes for me..."

"STOP BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL! I already broke the wall in the last chapter! If you keep doing it, the readers will get bored with this joke!" I scolded the unknown guy.

"That's true...but I don't care...I do what I want and no one is ever able to stop me..."

Ugh.

I wanted to yell at the man, but I decided to move on instead.

Because...

...Thanks to the information he has given me...I was able to figure out who he was...

He was the man who "tested my luck" in the forest by putting me in a life-threatening situation.

This insane man summoned an alpha forest wolf in front of a toddler to see how she could defend herself!

I ended up in a coma for weeks!

...And it was all thanks to this guy.

"Do you remember now...? I was so close to killing you..."

"I remember...and I'm not very happy that you came back," I replied honestly.

"...Cordelia...was this the man who nearly killed you back when you were young...?" Ace asked coldly.

Ace's words became snarls and a deep growl could be heard in the back of his throat.

"Yeah," I replied.

It looks like Ace hasn't forgotten this guy either.

"Good. It seems that you two are still able to remember me. It would be unfortunate if you guys forgot about me..."

"Get us out of here," I said darkly.

"Why would I let you go so easily? That would defeat the purpose of me coming here..."

"Then what are you here for?!" I yelled with anger coursing through me.

"I'm just here to talk to the prophesized hero of the world and the gods' chosen one. I had some free time and I thought that I would meet you again. I missed you."

"Your words make me sick."

"I wouldn't be so rude if I were you. I have the upper hand here...I can kill you any time I want..."

"If that's the case...Why haven't you killed me yet? It makes no sense."

"...I would stop talking if I were you, foolish little girl..."

"You need me alive, right? I don't know why you would want something to do with me...but I know that if you didn't need me, you wouldn't have come to visit me and listen to me insult you like this."

"...You're not too dumb, I suppose...But...Even if I can't kill you...that doesn't mean I can't damage your body beyond repair..."

"..."

"Maybe I'll mutilate your limbs one by one...and just when you're on the verge of begging for death, I'll deform your face. I'll pull out your tongue and eyes. I'll scar your face so severely that you'd never be accepted in society..."

"..."

"And because I've pulled out your tongue...you wouldn't be able to say anything anymore. You would be a doll that could only make muffled sounds and gargles just like an animal..."

"..."

"But you'd still be alive...Isn't that good? Isn't that what you want?"

"..."

"Perhaps I could encase your deformed body in a glass cage...so that everyone in the world could witness the gruesome person inside..."

"..."

"Or maybe...I could just kill everyone that has ever mattered to you. You wouldn't even have enough time to say goodbye to all your friends and family..."

Something within me snapped at his last words.

"If you hurt any of my friends or family, I swear on my name that I will hunt you down to the ends of the universe to kill you myself," I muttered darkly.

"Oh...It seems that I've finally made you angry..."

"I don't know who you are...but your words aren't only making Cordelia angry...I am becoming irritated as well..." Ace finally said after a while.

"Hmm...It seems that you two are ready to explode. Well then...let's get down to business, shall we?"

The mysterious man began to laugh loudly.

His chuckles were so dark and grim that they sent shivers down my spine.

"Let's see if you two can even hold a candle against me..."

----------------------------------------------------

A/N: I'm so sorry for the later update today!

I accidentally deleted my draft for this chapter today...(read my profile for more details).

Anyway, I spent the past four hours or so rewriting this chapter to the best of my abilities, which is why my update today is later than normal.

Thank you for those of you who waited patiently for this chapter!

Also, I reintroduced the mysterious time-stopping man again. I'm pretty sure most of you guys may have forgotten about him but he's an important character to this story, so I will try to include him more in the storyline.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading~

Thanks again to my readers/commenters/voters!

Okie byeee!

Word Count: 4170