All of us walked back to the dorms together after the opening ceremony ended.

To be honest, I was completely zoned out and didn't listen in on the boys' conversations.

It was so hard to focus on anything after watching the Marquis and Marquess spout nonsense.

When we reached the dorms, I realized that all of us had relatively close rooms.

Even though boys and girls were still separated, the maximum distance between me and any of the male leads were about one or two halls.

Apparently, Ash and Grey were sharing a room. A little while later, I found out that Ace and Deux were also sharing a room.

Did someone plan this...?!

Why the heck are all the main characters in the otome game sharing rooms?!

The only person that was not sharing a room with any of the guys was Florence.

He had his own roommate.

"I guess this is where we'll all split up for now," Ash waved.

"Yeah, we'll see each other tomorrow morning for breakfast then," Florence nodded as he began to walk away from the group.

Almost everyone retired to their rooms early, leaving only Grey and me behind.

"Milady, I have something I wish to give you," Grey said after they had all left.

"...What is it?" I asked.

"Please...meet my shadow..." Grey chuckled as he snapped his finger.

Almost immediately, I could see a shadowy figure rise from the ground.



"OH. MY. GODS. IT'S AN EVIL GHOST DEMON THING! AHHH!!!!! RUN!" I screeched as I started to sprint away from the area.

"Pin her down," Grey commanded the shadowy figure thing.

Wait.

Excuse me...?!

Did he just tell it to...

Within a millisecond of hearing Grey's order, it sped toward me at Mach speed and smashed me to the ground.

Using its hands, which felt like ice, it held my wrists down onto the ground without hesitation.

"OUCH!! THAT FREAKING HURT!!" I yelled as I winced from the impact.

"Oh...Did it hurt?" Grey asked with a face of ecstasy.

"Nope. Never. It didn't hurt at all. So, stop it," I said as I quickly reworded myself.

Whoops.

I almost messed up and flipped Grey's...fetish switch.

"Forgive me for resorting to such measures, milady. Unlike when we were little, you are now a much faster runner. I didn't feel like it was necessary to play a game of chase with you in the school halls," Grey explained with a smirk.

"Sure...I totally believe that you didn't have any other way to peacefully capture me," I spoke sarcastically.

"Ahaha...Milady...You know me so well..." Grey said with a dark chuckle.

"Yes, I do. Now, please get this thing off of me or else I'll rip its head off with my magic," I threatened as I gestured to the ghost-devil thing that was still on top of me.

"Why, of course, milady. I'll get my shadow off of you immediately. However...just know that since it is a shadow...its head can't be ripped off," Grey smirked as he whispered something into its ear to get it off of me.

"Whew. I'm still alive. Yay."

"I would never allow it to kill you, milady."

"Well...I mean...It's your job to serve me...So...I'd assume you wouldn't ever try to kill me...right? Please say you won't kill me. Please?"

"Yes, I believe I won't kill you...Although, you shouldn't put too much faith into me, milady. Most people consider me a dangerous man after all," Grey laughed.

"Yeah. I know. Anyway, what is this thing," I said as I pointed at the shadowy figure who was sipping a cup of...imaginary shadow tea...in the corner.

"This is the product of my shadow magic, milady. I gave life to my shadow, then transformed it into a suitable figure, so I could hand it over to you."

"Huh? But why?"

"Currently...your familiar is..." Grey murmured as he checked down the hall to make sure Ace wasn't there.

"Are...you telling me to replace Ace with your shadow?!" I said a little more sharply than I had intended.

"No, of course not, milady. I would never ask you to do so. Ace is an important companion of mine as well," Grey sighed.

"Then, why?"

"It is just reassurance for the rest of us, milady."

"I don't understand what you mean..."

"Ace, although he still has the same strength as before, does not have the same amount of emotional attachment with you anymore."

"...I already know that bu-"

"As long as you're alive, Ace is alive. Other than that, if you get yourself injured, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest. The most you would get from him would be sympathy. Until Ace gets his memories back, we must make do with what we can."

"..."

"The way he is now...he has no true loyalty to you."

"...Ace would neve-"

"I know, milady. Ace would never risk your wellbeing for his own. Except...the man you see right now is not the same Ace you once knew."

"..."

"We can't leave your safety with Ace's current state...Although the other boys may not admit it, they are all worried for you."

"They don't need to be. I don't need anyone to protect me anyway."

"No matter what you say, milady, the boys will always be worried for you."

"...Are you worried about me?"

"Of course not, milady. I have a feeling that if a person ever scratches you by accident...the others will make sure that you will never have to see that person again...using their own means. I, on the other hand, would just kill him outright, since you are my master, of course."

"Hahaha...I guess I'm in good hands..."

"Of course, milady."

"So...uh...what's the name of your...shadow...?" I asked Grey.

"I don't give names. Giving something a name means that I will eventually become attached to it, which would be a great burden for me if it ever dies."

"I see...I really think you should come up with a name for it though, Grey."

"I'd really rather not."

"You have to give it a name! What else are we going to call it?!"

"...I have a poor imagination, milady."

"Just name it the first name that pops into your mind! It should be easy..."

"Is that an order...milady?"

"You already know that I rarely give you orders, Grey. I just think you should be the one to name it since you were the one who created it..."

"...Your wish is always my command, milady."

"Ugh. Are you going to name it or not?"

"...Yes...well..."

"Hmm? Just name it the first name that comes to you."

"...Marielle."

"Marielle?"

"Yes...Marielle."

"Is 'Marielle' someone you knew in the past?" I asked while watching Grey's troubled expression.

"I...guess you could say that, milady...I'd rather not talk about it though..."

"Oh...I see...I won't pry too much then."

"Thank you, milady."

"Alright now, go away. I'm tired and I need a nap."

"Of course, milady. If you ever need a massage, feel free to knock on my door," Grey smiled as he left.

I shuddered.

But...what was even creepier than his words...was the fact that since Grey gave me his shadow, he didn't have a shadow anymore.

As Grey was walking, no shadow could be seen by his feet.

It was like he was a devil's reincarnate.

I looked over at the shadow that Grey gave me.

"Hey...there...buddy...So, Grey came up with a fabulous name for you. Guess what it is..." I chuckled awkwardly as I watched the shadow nod.

Yep.

The shadow definitely knew what its name was.

...I hope it liked its name...because it was too late to change it now.

But...I wonder who "Marielle" was.

As far as I was concerned, Grey had never mentioned this name to me before.

Was she someone important to him?

And when did he meet her?

I gave up thinking about it and turned to the shadow instead.

Just by looking at the shadow...I was a little conflicted.

My biggest worry was that this thing would replace Ace.

Of course, I would never let that happen.

I'd rather kill this shadow than letting it take over Ace's role.

But...

I had a feeling that I could use this shadow...to my advantage against the Marquis and Marquess...

"Can you hide away somewhere people can't see you? I think it would cause a heart attack among other students if they saw a ghost follow me around," I said to the shadow.

The shadow simply nodded its head and disappeared into my shadow.

I sighed.

This was going to be something that would be difficult to get used to.

At least Grey was thoughtful enough to change the shape of his shadow to be female.

I assume that this thing was going to follow me in the shadows everywhere, including the bathroom.

Imagine how awkward it would be if I was in the middle of taking a bath and a shadow that had the same body figure as Grey suddenly appeared in the corner of the room.

Hahaha...

I don't think I would be able to handle it.

.

.

A Few Hours Later

.

.

I changed into my comfy pajamas, brushed my teeth, and combed through my hair after finishing my bubble bath.

When I saw the bed, my body moved completely on its own and I slammed into the sheets.

Fluffy.

Why was this bed so soft?!

It felt like I was laying on a cloud.

"You must be tired after today, Miss Cordelia," Lilly said quietly as she sat down on her bed next to mine.

"Yeah...My brain was fried from today's opening ceremony," I replied with a sigh.

"Although the ceremony was long, I still don't quite understand why you are so tired out," Lilly pondered.

"Well...Let's just say that I saw two snakes crying alligator tears earlier today."

"I don't quite understand, but I sure hope you are alright. You're lucky, Miss Cordelia. You have many friends who care for you deeply."

"Who?"

"I'm talking about the group of boys you introduced to me earlier, of course."

"Those guys? They care for me? What a joke. Florence just likes watching me explode, Ash has never said one nice thing to me, Grey...has issues, and Deux doesn't talk to me anymore."

"What about the other boy?"

"Huh?"

"There were five boys earlier...right?"

"Oh...You're talking about Ace."

"Yes, Miss Cordelia. Does he care for you?"

"I...Probably not."

"Why?"

"Haha...He doesn't know enough about me to care."

"You all seem really close with one another though..."

"I'm getting tired, Lilly. Let's go to sleep early so we don't oversleep and start off the school year by being late to class on our first day," I said, trying to change the conversation.

"...Miss Cordelia...Perhaps you may not realize this...but I believe that all of them truly care for you."

"How can you be sure?"

"It's obvious, Miss Cordelia."

"Uh...What's obvious?"

"You can tell by their eyes...the way they shine when they look at you."

"...Huh?"

"Nevermind. It's nothing."

"...Okay...then?"

"By the way, Miss Cordelia, are you...perhaps a noble of high rank?" she asked with a cock of her head.

"Hmm...What do you think?"

"I think you must be extraordinarily powerful in order to be able to associate with the crown prince so casually."

"Well...that's true."

"May I have a small guess, Miss Cordelia?"

"Huh? Sure, go ahead."

"Forgive me if I am wrong...but are you perhaps the fiance of Prince Gloria?"

"Ding ding! We have a winner!" I said dramatically.

Almost immediately after I confirmed her suspicions, Lilly fell to her knees and gave a respectful bow.

"Future Moon of the Nation, Miss Cordelia de Boren Cyllia, I beg for your forgiveness in treating someone as high standing as you with such disrespect. I had even gone as far as to refer to you with Miss Cyllia's first name and I must-"

"And this is why I hate formalities so much!!! They are so annoying and they get in the way of meeting people!" I groaned as I took my pillow and slammed my face into it.

"E-Excuse me, Miss Cylli-"

"No. Just stop it. Stop. It."

"I don't believe I understan-"

"Does it look like I'm the type of person who cares about formalities?!"

"...Of course not, Miss Cyllia, howeve-"

"I don't care. Also, while you're at it, call me 'Cordelia' without any title attached before it."

"Miss Cyllia?! Of course, I can't! That would just be-"

"Shhhh..." I silenced her slowly.

"..."

"Miss Cylli-"

"Nope."

"Miss Cyl-"

"Nope."

"Miss C-"

"Nope."

"Mis-"

"Hint: You're still wrong."

"...C-Cordelia."

"Yay! You did it!"

Lilly sighed in defeat.

"Well then, now that all of that is over now, let's go to sleep," I yawned as I turned off the magic lights installed in the room.

"Of course...Mis-" Lilly tried to say before I sent her the coldest glare I could from within the room's darkness.

"..." I waited for her to repeat herself.

"...Of course.............Cordelia."

"Yep. Good night," I muttered as I closed my eyes.

"Good night."

While I was waiting for sleep to slap me in the face, I decided to check my status, which was something I hadn't done in a while.

——

Name: Cordelia de Boren Cyllia

Age: 16

Titles: Duke's Daughter, Villainess, Future Princess, Apostle of the Gods

Lv. 137 (MAX Level: 9999)

Health: 720 / 720 - MP: 13,120,300,000 / 13,120,300,000

Defense: 482 - Strength: 517 - Speed: 514

IQ: 250

Attributes: Water, Ice, Illusion, Creation, Destruction, Copy

Skills: Being Absolutely Dense, Talking Back to Superiors, Being Dumb, Making Enemies, Always Making Bad Decisions, Being a Couch Potato, Being a Weeb, Acting Smart When You're Really Not, Being Adorably Fake, Acting Better Than Others When You're Really Not, Being Extremely Untrustable and Inexperienced, Having a "Fat" Personality, Creating Terrible First Impressions, Acting Lazier Than Rocks, Being Uglier and Horrible in Comparison to the Majestic and Beautiful Gods, Complaining About Things People Don't Care About, Losing Brain Cells Every Day, Being a Brat to the Others, Being a Manipulative Snake, Somehow Always Making the Worst Decisions Possible, Doing Pointless Things, Continuously Breaking the Fourth Wall for No Reason, Always Threatening to Kill Someone But Never Actually Doing it Because You're a Coward, Getting Lost, Never Thinking Things Through, Not Understanding Why People Have Nose Bleeds, Not Understanding Why People Pass Out, Being a Nerd, Acting like a 4-Year-Old Even Though Your Already an Old Hag, Being an Old Hag in a Teenage Body, Pretending That You're An Angel When You're Actually More Like a Devil, Meeting With More Pedophiles Than Should Be Possible, Forgetting That You're Not as Smart as the Wise and Amazing Gods, Having an Insensitive Personality, Having a Rock as a Brain, Being an Extremely Simple Person, Creating Yanderes, Finding Every Boy You Bump Into Hot, Having No Love Life Even Though You're Married...[Too Many Skills Listed to Show Up On Status]

——

Why do I feel...as if...my list of skills...keeps growing...?

I swear that I only started off with two skills...so why the heck do I have this many now...?

And all of my skills seem...to be getting worse as the days go by...

I wonder why.

Instead of focusing on my ridiculous skill set, I turned my attention to my current level, 137.

I was becoming increasingly strong as the days went by.

Elite warriors and mages were typically around level 150.

Average students around my age were usually around level 20.

I can confidently say that...I am OP.

My titles haven't changed in the slightest, which was expected.

Everything seemed to be working out quite nicely.

Needless to say, after a while of looking at my status, sleep finally decided to smack my face with a hammer, so I was knocked out cold until the next morning.

.

.

The Next Morning

.

.

Breakfast~

Come to Mama~

I hummed happily as I walked to the back of the line of students waiting to order their food with Lilly.

But the moment I stood in line, everyone in front of me parted.

They all looked at me with some...strange expressions as they all gestured for me to go all the way to the front.

"Please, go ahead ma'am," said one person.

"I don't mind if cut me in line...or if you step on m-" said another person.

"I'm not that hungry anyway. Please go ahead, Miss. And, may I please have your name?" asked a flirty looking noble.

Excuse me?!

What was happening?!

"Just accept their kindness and keep walking, brat," I heard someone behind me say with a sigh.

I turned around to see Ash with an annoyed face.

"What's happening right now? Is today my birthday?" I asked Ash with wide eyes.

"Don't even try to explain to her, Ash. She won't get it no matter how many times you try," I heard Florence chuckle behind him.

I could see the other boys coming toward us.

"Cordelia, it would be best to just go to the front of the line since they are all being so kind...Everyone is still waiting for you," Lilly said softly as she slightly nudged me.

"Are you sure it's alright though?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. Everyone's so willing," Lilly smiled.

"Alright then," I nodded as I walked through the parted line all the way to the front.

I had no idea what was happening...or why everyone was being so nice...or why there were people with nose bleeds...or why some people were panting heavily...or why someone just passed out...

...But I gave up on thinking and just let it happen.

Life was good.

"I'd like to order five servings of breakfast set #1, two extra-large bowls of miso soup, three croissants, three scrambled eggs on the side, eight slices of crispy bacon, and a cup of apple juice, please," I said as I looked down at the menu right away.

For some reason, I could hear everyone behind me go silent as I was saying what I wanted for breakfast.

Was something wrong?

I didn't want to look weird on my first day...so I deliberately ordered less than usual...but I guess it wasn't enough.

I sighed.

Welp.

I like food, so who cares about what others think anymore.

Just as I was about to order a protein smoothie to be healthy, the chef waiting for my order began to talk first.

"Darling~ It's so lovely to see you again! Ah~ But you still haven't started eating less...If you keep this up, you'll really start to gain a lot of weight, you know?" I heard a familiar voice say behind the counter.

I looked up to see a really familiar face.

It was a face that I wouldn't be able to forget...because his face was...unforgettable.

"Ch-Chef Pie?!" I squeaked as I realized who it was.

Chef Pie, in case you've forgotten, was one of the two really talented chefs back home at the dukedom who worked for my family.

Chef Pie and Chef Apple helped me learn how to further my cooking skills and make delicious foods to bring to Deux when he was still hiding in the forest.

"Yes, darling~ It's the handsome me! Oh~ I even shine among these noble students here! I'm just too perfect, aren't I?" Chef Pie laughed merrily, spilling puss out of his face as he spoke.

Yes...

He was...uh...[not] very handsome.

I mean...his face is like a pie...

"Yeah, I missed you too, Chef Pie...But what are you doing here?" I asked with confusion.

"I received word that Greenwood Academy was looking for some chefs. Both Chef Apple and I requested permission from your father to work here for a year~ We thought it would be a fun experience."

"I see...Wait. Does that mean..."

"Yep, Darling! Chef Apple is here too...but he's busy working right now. I'll show you to him when he's not cooking alright?" Chef Pie winked, causing a small part of his face to collapse.

"Yes, of course..." I forced a chuckle as I watched Chef Pie's face.

"Your food will be out soon, darling~ Go take a seat and I'll bring it straight to you when it's done!" Chef Pie said as he waved for me to go sit wherever I liked.

I nodded and then found a nice table to sit at.

Eventually, all of the others ordered their food too and sat down at the table I chose.

Lilly was hesitant to sit with us, but she eventually caved when I forced her to.

Then, our food came.

And it was magical.

Breakfast was in a Japanese style since this world came from a Japanese otome game.

There were perfectly shaped rice balls, perfectly fried fish, and a huge assortment of side dishes that I didn't know the name of.

I never had a rice ball before, but when I ate it, I was blown away.

Rice balls were just rice in the shape of a ball...right?!

So why.

Why did it taste so good?!

What did they place into these rice balls that made them so magical?!

The saltiness of the seasoning in the rice was counteracted by the flavor of rice and mixed together to form the god of taste in my mouth.

The fried fish I was given was incredibly crispy on the outside and was overflowing with soft juicy flesh on the inside.

A single bite blasted me away with the harmonious flavors of fish, soy sauce, and whatever else they put in.

Every bite I took made me salivate for more.

I cried tears of joy when I bit into the bacon that I ordered too.

The bacon itself had subtle flavors of maple and perhaps some herbs that I didn't know the name of.

The light crunching sound that came from biting through a single piece added to the appeal of the dining experience.

Together, all these light flavors in the bacon all worked to create a magical experience, which allowed me to understand why bacon was the king of the world.

The fattiness of the bacon was then counteracted by the freshly made apple juice that I ordered, which cleanly cut through my taste buds, clearing my throat and mouth for more.

I ate all of my scrambled eggs with the croissants I had ordered together.

The eggs were buttery and smoothly glided to my stomach while the croissants filled me with a completely different texture than the eggs.

Even though both the eggs and the croissants were buttery, the eggs had a much smoother texture while the croissants provided the heavenly crunch that the eggs lacked.

I was halfway through eating my heavenly meal...when a glass of milk flew across the room and landed on my tray(s) of food.

In shock, I looked up to see a fight break out between a pair of noble twins.

Then, I looked down to see my once perfect meal drenched in milk.

My entire meal...

My entire meal was just...

...ruined in the blink of an eye...

...hahaha...

Hahaha...

HAHAHA...

I guess it's time for me to kill someone.

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

A/N: Cordelia is going to try to get revenge on the Marquis and Marquess for sure...but first...she's going to get revenge for her dead food...

And, yes, there are twins. And, yes, I assume they are going to be exactly what you guys want when there are twins.

I hope you guys like him~

Classes will start in the next chapter, so keep a lookout!

--

Question Time!

Who do you think Cordelia will be classmates with?

Tell me who you think they will be~

(Again, your choices don't affect the storyline, so say whatever you want~)

---

Again, thanks to all my readers/voters/commenters! You guys are so sweet~

Okie byeee!

Word Count: 3648