Chapter Text
“Mother, look! It’s done!”
I scurried over to my mother as fast as my little legs could carry me. She was sitting on the couch reading a book (I can’t recall which one), and looked up from it in delight to see what I held in my hands.
“It’s a hair bow!” I presented the lily-white bow to her proudly. “My first ever sewing project!”
“Why, Clair, it’s beautiful!” My mother, Melissa Cambridge, picked up the bow, examining it closely. “You did a wonderful job! This will look great in your hair.”
“But, Mother!” I objected. “I made this for you!”
“Did you?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my… Thank you, Clair! I will wear it every day!”
“Yay!” I gave my mother a hug. “I love you, Mother!”
“And I love you too, sweetheart.” Mother eagerly returned the hug. “Do you want to keep sewing like this?”
“Yeah!” I rapidly nodded my head, feeling my blonde hair swishing all over. “I wanna sew forever! But…”
“But?” She looked at me quizzically.
“Father says it’s not a good, um… “career path”? He wants me to get into business like him…” I huffed. “But that’s boring! I wanna sew!”
Mother gently patted my head. “Don’t worry about that, Clair. When you’re a grownup, you’ll have the freedom to do whatever you want to do!”
“Really?” My expression brightened, hope reignited in my heart.
“Of course! Even if your job turns out to be something else, you never have to stop sewing, okay? The secret to a happy life is to not let reality get in the way of your ideals. If you love sewing, keep at it! Who knows, maybe it COULD become your job!”
“Wow!” I had no idea such a thing could be possible. “I’ll work hard to be the best in the world at sewing!”
That vision faded, and I found myself in a groggy haze. Light came in from the window, illuminating my dorm room. Even if I was technically awake now, I was so out of it that it took a few minutes for me to properly register my surroundings, or recall the events of the previous day. Once I did, however, I realized there was someone else in the room. She ran up to me and bowed her head in shame.
Oh, right. I’m the Villainess.
“Miss Claire! I’m terribly sorry about putting that spell on you. I didn’t think it through, I should’ve asked for permission first…” It was Rae, still wearing her uniform and apron. Only now did I remember the spell she described, and Lene asking to learn it. I sat up with a stretch.
“Ah, yes. Good morning, Rae! That’s quite alright.” I gave her a sleepy smile. “You may raise your head.” She did so, but still looked troubled. “You’re here early, aren’t you? Your shift doesn’t start for another, yaaaaaawn, hour or so, right?”
“Yeah, but… well, it’s not that I’m here early, more that I, um… never left. Once I realized what I’d done, I felt so bad about it I stayed to watch over you and make sure you were okay. I didn’t get a lot of sleep between the guilt, and your roommate snoring, eheh…” Rae smiled back at me sheepishly.
“Sorry.” Mumbled Catherine, from above me. She usually kept herself hidden when anyone besides myself, her maid Emma, or Lene were in the room, but she couldn’t maintain an invisibility spell while asleep, so there was no point in hiding her presence from Rae at the moment.
“Hmph. Well, what you did was certainly rash, Rae, but your intentions were good. You will receive no punishment.” I got out of bed and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t we let Lene handle breakfast today? You’ll need the energy to make up for missing sleep.”
“B-but Miss Claire!” Rae objected. “It’s my own fault I missed sleep, I-”
“Rae.” I took on a dominating tone. “I said we should let Lene handle breakfast today. You wouldn’t disobey your master, would you?” I smiled again, the sort of smile that says, “You are going to listen to me now.” It seemed to work, as Rae’s face went pink and she started to stutter.
“Y-yes, Miss Claire.” She did another, semi-awkward curtsy.
When Lene arrived a few minutes later, she thanked Rae for keeping an eye on me, and got to work on our breakfast. I had a feeling she could tell something happened before she arrived, but she chose not not to comment.
Lene innocently asked, “Miss Claire, since she did well on her first day, don’t you think we should introduce Rae to your father?”
My blood ran cold. I knew I’d have to see Father again at some point, but so soon? Intellectually, I knew I had nothing to fear from Dole François. I had very positive memories of him, and he always treated me well. But at the same time…
“Yes, I suppose you’re right. The François manor is in the capital, Rae, so we can go today. Are you up to it?” I was secretly hoping she’d say no.
“Um… Well, I guess so. No sense putting it off, right? I should let Misha know where I’m going, because she might be worried about me not returning to our room last night, but I can go.”
Ah. Well, Rae was right, putting it off wouldn’t help anything. But, maybe I could do it a little…
“I have tea with Loretta and Pepi scheduled two hours from now. Rae, you’ll be attending us.”
“Huh?” She blushed a little. Cute. “Why me?”
“Because if you’re going to be meeting my father today, we might as well get you properly introduced to my friends too!” It was a deflection, to take my mind off the visit ahead, but it did make sense. Currently, Rae’s only exposure to Loretta and Pepi had been them observing her on my behalf. It’d be easier to move forward with my relationship with Rae if she earned their approval first.
“Well… Okay, I’ll do my best.” She shifted a bit, but it wouldn’t be hard to get Loretta and Pepi to treat her better. I’d make sure of that.
The hour of the tea party arrived. Lene attended to her other duties while Rae accompanied me. I overheard Lene offering Rae encouragement and praising her skills, but that wasn’t why she was nervous, and I knew it. Don’t worry, Rae. I’ll burn your worries away.
Loretta and Pepi knew I’d hired Rae, but still looked bewildered to see her behind me in her apron, while I had the biggest smile on my face. I was the only one smiling though, Rae still looked unsure about this. Time to set things straight.
“Loretta, Pepi, I’d like you to meet my new maid, Rae Taylor!” I placed a hand on her shoulder, presenting her proudly. “Rae, these are Loretta Kugret and Pepi Barlier. They’re fellow nobles, and my dear friends! I do hope you’ll all get along.”
Loretta spoke first. “Uh- nice to meet you, com- Rae.” She corrected herself.
Pepi followed suit. “I concur. But, um… Miss Claire?” She looked at me, uncertainty written on her face. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Of course it is!” I sat down with a little too much force. Oops. “Rae is simply the best woman for the job. Though… I do believe there’s a little misunderstanding between us all, isn’t there? Please apologize to Rae for following her before.”
Both of them looked at me like I sprouted wings and flew away. I could tell what they were thinking. Didn’t you tell us to do that? But, alas, they would never speak back to me.
“We’re sorry.” They both said simultaneously, sheepishly bowing their heads in shame. Rae, for her part, was just as confused about my request as they were, and her response was equally hesitant.
“It’s, um… okay?” At least she understood now that they weren’t crazy. No, the only crazy one here was me. I knew it, of course, but I’d rather not go into why just now; that’s a story for another day.
The tea party was uneventful. As usual, I yapped about whatever I felt like talking about, while Loretta and Pepi listened and chimed in with their own thoughts. Rae stayed quiet, and the other two mostly avoided looking at her. But that wouldn’t do. I couldn’t miss an opportunity to get to know Rae better, so I decided to turn my attention to her. Gosh, she’s so pretty in that maid apron.
“Oh, Rae?~” I questioned her in a honeyed tone. “Why don’t you tell us about your childhood in Euclid? As nobles, we have no experience living as commoners, so your perspective must be fascinating.”
Loretta and Pepi gave me another odd look. Is that jealousy I see in Loretta’s eyes? No, surely not. Rae, meanwhile, looked a bit flustered to be put on the spot like this. “W-well… There’s not much to tell. I had two good friends, Louie and Misha. Misha’s here at the Academy, but Louie’s still in Euclid. He’s an adventurer now. We used to play at the beach together, because um, Euclid is a coastal town. My parents are tailors, as uh, my name implies. We don’t make a lot of money, so I really appreciate the extra funds Miss Claire is sending them as part of my pay.”
I loved hearing her talk about it, of course, but most of this was stuff I already knew from Revolution. I wanted more. “Were you happy, though? How did you feel about your lot in life?”
That got her thinking. “Well, I guess so. I imagine such conditions must be unthinkable to nobles, but for me, who had only ever been a commoner, I had little to complain about. I had food, shelter, loving parents, and friends. I couldn’t imagine asking for much else than that.”
“So you don’t want to be a noble, then? Even if the opportunity arose?” I leaned in closer to her. This is the juicy stuff! Tell me what you could never have in my previous life, Rae!
“I… hmm. I don’t think so. A life of luxury sounds a bit overwhelming to me. Besides, don’t nobles have to navigate all these complex social rules and expectations? I’d rather have a more relaxed environment, really.”
“There ya go!” Loretta pointed at her, grinning. “You’re pretty astute for a commoner, aren’t you? That’s right, it’s about time one of you realized how easy you have it.” Loretta was pleased by Rae’s response, but I was a little disappointed. I had fantasized about all the ways I could spoil Rae and lavish her in gifts, but that might not be what she wanted. I’d need to rethink my approach. Rae, on the other hand, seemed a bit put off by Loretta’s response, but didn’t say anything. Pepi didn’t seem to notice anything wrong with it.
“In any case, that is a most enlightening response. Thank you, Rae.” I gave her a sunny smile, but she only looked away bashfully. That’s okay, she’ll come to love me soon.
“You are welcome, Miss Claire.” She then returned to waiting on us quietly. It was a successful tea party, if I may say so, but unfortunately, when it concluded, the next task of my busy day was ahead.
Lene had already prepared a carriage to take us to the François manor. My anxiety returned as I thought about the discussion ahead. Fortunately, I had a plan in mind that should make everything go smoothly. I sat next to Rae, and Lene sat across from me.
“Are you nervous, Rae?” I looked over my shoulder at her. She was fidgeting again, and couldn’t seem to sit completely still.
“A little. I’ve never ridden a carriage before, or spoken to anyone as important as Master Dole François.” Eeeeee! She looks like a little bunny rabbit when she’s all shy like this!
“Don’t worry about it too much, Rae.” Lene replied with a reassuring smile. “Master Dole is a fair and reasonable man. I’m sure he’ll understand Miss Claire’s decision in hiring you.” I was a little annoyed that Lene stole my opportunity to comfort Rae, but I had to admit, I needed it too.
Arriving at the François manor gave me an odd, mixed feeling of nostalgia and apprehension. It was like going somewhere familiar and comforting, yet imposing and threatening at the same time. Once again, being reincarnated as someone else is disorienting. Rae, on the other hand, was awestruck, likely never having seen a building so grand up close before. We disembarked, and were quickly let inside.
The interior of the manor was as beautiful as you would expect for the home of a family only second to the royalty in fame and importance. The beautifully polished wooden floors were covered in rugs and carpets of fine material in elegant colors like crimson and midnight. The furniture was similarly wooden, mahogany if I recall, and carved with fine patterns worthy of an aristocrat. My heart began pounding as I felt the pressure closing in on me, but I had a plan, and I needed to stick to it. I lead the way to my father’s office, with Rae and Lene close behind. I knocked on the door, as I’d always done, and announced myself. “Father! I have arrived.”
Entering the office, I got my first look at my father since reincarnating. His sharp, black eyes met mine, and he grinned beneath his light brown mustache.
“Ah, Claire! I was told of your coming, and it is always a delight to see my lovely daughter.” He spotted Rae. “I assume this must be that new maid you hired. Without my approval, I should note.”
“Indeed, Father.” The two halves of my mind were at odds with one another. One half recognized him as my loving father, but the other half, because of that, was filled with dread. But I pushed that aside. There is no room for Clair Cambridge in this conversation. Only Claire François. “This is Rae Taylor, a scholarship student at the Royal Academy.”
“It is an honor to meet you, your grace.” Rae bowed her head and curtsied, a bit better now than she did before. I briefly coached her on conduct before we arrived.
“I see… Very well, then. What has this girl done to warrant being hired so abruptly?” Father looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze. She trembled a little, but kept quiet. I spoke again.
“Rae is the star of the scholarship students. Her grades are excellent, her magic aptitude incredible, and her etiquette remarkable for a commoner. Even the princes are impressed by her performance. If I had hesitated in hiring her, no doubt another noble would do so first.”
“Is this true, Rae Taylor?” Father addressed Rae next. Hurk! I’d hoped he wouldn’t do that. Fortunately, Rae seemed to have expected this.
“While I cannot attest to the part about etiquette, your grace, my grades are quite good, and I am a Dual Caster with exceptional aptitude in both Earth and Water. I have also beaten Prince Rod in a game of chess, which I am told is a remarkable achievement.”
That seemed to please him. “I see. Well, it seems your etiquette is good after all. It seems my daughter is right about you. Very well, I will allow you to continue serving as Claire’s maid for the time being. But know this; my daughter is precious to me beyond all else. I will not forgive you if you fail to treat her with the dignity and respect she deserves.”
“I understand, your grace.” Rae does another bow.
We stayed in the manor for only a little while longer. Truthfully, I was eager to get back to the Academy so I could unwind, but I knew I couldn’t appear too eager to leave. Instead, I showed Rae around the house, as well as the courtyard outside, while Lene waxed nostalgic about our early years together. “As a servant of House François, it’s important that you know your way around the manor.” I stated matter-of-factly. Rae nodded in understanding. Fortunately, this exercise was a good way to fill out the rest of our time here, and I had an excuse to leave already prepared: My upcoming duel with Prince Yu. It was a mock battle, of course, but to have an arrangement like that with a prince was too important for anyone to ignore. Before long, we were back in the carriage to the Royal Academy. I stared out the window, contemplating.
“Miss Claire, is something the matter?” Lene snapped me out of my trance.
“Nothing at all. Do I appear odd to you, Lene?” I responded without looking away from the window.
“Just a bit, for a lack of a better word, wooden. Since you arrived at the Academy you’ve been so expressive, but today you’ve seemed drained of that energy. Are you sure you’re going to be up to your duel with Prince Yu?”
I appreciated her concern, of course, but I couldn’t explain why I felt the way I did. So instead, I gave her the more believable answer. “My father is the Minister of Finance. Even as his daughter, I must speak to him with respect and courtesy.”
“That’s probably it, then.” From her tone, I guessed Lene didn’t believe I was being entirely honest, but didn’t press the issue. Rae, meanwhile, remained quiet. I was proud of her for how well she handled speaking to my father, but I wasn’t in the right state of mind to express that properly. Frankly, I was having a hard time returning to a more relaxed demeanor.
Then I saw it.
Over the tops of the buildings of the capital city, I saw Bauer’s largest and tallest mountain: Mt. Sassal, a volcano. It had been dormant for a long time now, but as I looked at it, I remembered what it represented in Revolution; what it meant for me.
“Miss Claire?” Rae spoke for the first time since we left. “You look all pale again. Is something wrong?” I turned to look at her, and saw her brow furrowed in concern, her mouth in the smallest of frowns.
“Y-yes, I’m quite alright, thank you, Rae. Just a bit anxious about my duel, I suppose.” That was an outright lie, but how would I explain the existential dread clutching my heart?
“I see. Well, um. Prince Yu is a surprisingly laid back guy, like his eldest brother. If you need to reschedule, I’m sure he’d understand.”
“N-not necessary!” I objected. I think I needed the distraction, really. “Laid back or not, Yu is a prince of the Bauer Kingdom. To be offered his time is a high honor, even for someone of my status. I can’t give up now.”
“Are you sure?” Rae reached out a hand, as if to touch me, but thought better of it. “I know you’re doing this for me, but really, you don’t need to.”
“Of course I do. My word is my bond, Rae. That is the way of a noble. Besides…” Might as well say it now. “I’m quite pleased with how well you handled my father. I can’t go quitting on you now, can I?”
Her face went red again at the praise. “Thank you, Miss Claire.” Her adorable response warmed my heart and calmed my nerves for the time being. But from now on, a shadow loomed over me whenever I thought about the future.
I was relieved to be back at the Academy, with no volcano in sight. I wanted to snuggle up to Rae to truly relax, but unfortunately, at this stage in our relationship, I could not do that, so I held back. Yes, yes, I know. My willpower is great. Instead, I did some warm-up exercises before going out to the athletic field to meet with Yu. It was a flat, level ground, ideal for a fair fight. Yu was already there, of course, and much to my annoyance, the stands were full of girls who came to watch him. How was Rae supposed to learn, (and more importantly, admire me), with them squealing in her ears?
“There you are, Claire! Thank you for coming. Shall we begin?” Yu gave me a predictable, friendly greeting. He was always good at playing innocent and sweet, but I had a feeling he'd been devising a strategy for beating me, and was eager to try it out. I then spotted Yu’s attendant, Dede Murray, setting up a powerful magic tool; a barrier that blunts the blows of magic. I believe it’s done using Earth magic, but it’s never stated for sure in Revolution. This would allow both Yu and myself to go all out without inflicting lasting injuries. He was around 20 feet away from me when I took my place.
“Yes. First, Rae, stand right there.” I directed Rae to where the judge would stand, roughly in between myself and Yu to the side. “Remember what you need to do?”
“I think so. Just declare the start of the match, right?”
“Yes! And pay attention, Rae. This should be educational for you!”
“You can do it, Miss Claire!” I heard Loretta and Pepi cheering for me, under the cacophony of Yu’s fangirls. Their support made me feel a bit braver, going into this fight.
Yu and I took our places, and Rae raised her arm. “Let the match begin!”
As soon as Rae finished speaking, I pointed my wand in Yu’s direction to launch a volley of flame missiles, and he responded by raising a wall of water. The fire bolts hit the wall, dissipating into clouds of steam. They were rendered ineffective, but it still gave me an idea. With the flame bullets blocked, Yu drops the wall, and shoots me his signature princely smile.
“Attacking on the word “Go”, Claire? I thought a lady of House François would show a bit more respect for royalty!” He teased. Humph.
“It is precisely this respect for royalty that prompted me to strike quickly, Prince Yu. I wouldn’t want you to think I’m taking it easy on you, would I?”
“Fair enough! Well then, I believe it’s my turn. Let’s try this!” Yu crouched to the ground, placing his hand on it to create a large circle of ice on the floor around himself. I tried to shoot him again, but he hopped onto the ice, and began to skate across it. The girls in the audience squealed in delight at his performance, leaving a trail of ice in his wake as he skated off the circle and roughly 90 degrees to my side. “Think fast, Claire!” With a leap, he pointed his wand at me to fire bullets of his own, shards of ice. But two can play at his game…
In response, I cast a wall of fire around myself. Fire magic usually made for poor barriers, but with flames as hot as I can produce, it’s more than enough to shield me from ice. Like my own fire missiles hitting his water barrier, the ice shards melted before they could reach me. “Are you just showing off for your fans now?”
“Just a bit! Why don’t you try to hit me again?” As soon as he landed, Yu resumed his skating, going in rings around me. I tried to catch him with bursts of flame, but he was moving too fast. Here I understood his strategy; using ice to enhance his mobility to make himself hard to hit, while also cutting off my movement options by covering the battlefield in it. I was reminded of a figure skating show I saw on TV as a kid.
I grit my teeth, face warming in frustration despite the cold around me. His smugness was getting on my nerves. “How about this?” I aimed a flame lance right where he was headed behind me, forcing him to change course. Seizing the opportunity with him slowed down, I launched another volley of fire darts his way.
“That’s never gonna work, ya know!” Yu wasn’t able to dodge out of the way in time, so he made another water wall to block them, and once again, it worked, my flames dissipating into steam. But this time, I didn’t stop.
I kept the barrage of fire bullets coming, repeatedly blasting the wall, and carefully advanced towards Yu. He couldn’t move without dropping the water wall, but also couldn’t drop it without being hit; in other words, I’d trapped him. All the while, the water began to steam more and more, being heated by my fire. The ice around it began to melt, and I slowly closed the gap between us.
Yu smirked at me again, but I could see him starting to sweat. “Fire can’t penetrate water, Claire. You’re wasting your energy.”
“Maybe it can’t, Prince Yu! But it can warm the water up. You’re not looking too good over there.” The closer I got, the hotter my flames were when they struck the barrier, and the more they heated the water wall. A thick cloud of steam was rising from it now.
Unable to take the heat any more, Yu started skating again, dropping the water wall to do so, and narrowly avoided my barrage of flames. But the ice was thinner, too thin to build speed quickly. I, however, used the kickback of a flame burst to force myself in front of Yu quickly, my wand pointed directly under his chin.
Yu chuckled a bit, raising his hands in surrender. “You win.”
“Whew!” I wiped sweat off my brow. That took more out of me than I thought. Dede lowered the magic barrier, and Rae ran up to us both, after declaring me the winner.
“Prince Yu! Miss Claire! Are you both alright?” She was worried about us even though the magic barrier was up the entire time. Bless her heart.
“Quite alright, Rae! Though maybe a bit chilly.” I put my hands on my hips, posing proudly. Ohohoho!~ Better luck next time, Prince Yuck!
“Chilly? I feel like summer came early. You’re pretty good, Claire.” Yu pointed his wand up, using his Water magic to cool the area around himself. “Rae, did you learn anything?”
“I think so!” She nodded. “I hadn’t thought about using ice magic for mobility. It looks hard, though.”
“It is, but pretty handy in a pinch!” Yu answered with a hand wave. “Did you like it too, Misha?”
I failed to notice the quiet and dignified Misha among the crowd of Yu’s fangirls, but indeed, she was here, having followed after Rae from the stands. She lowers her head politely. “Indeed I did, Prince Yu. Your techniques were awe-inspiring.”
Just when I was about to pout over him getting all the praise, Loretta and Pepi ran over to me. “You were amazing, Miss Claire!” Squealed Pepi.
“Your magic is incredible!” Agreed Loretta.
“Thank you, both.” I smiled at my friends. “And what about you, Rae? Were you impressed?”
“Um, of course, Miss Claire! I was just a bit more focused on Prince Yu, since I’m learning techniques for Water magic and all. You looked very flashy, though.” Humph. Oh well, that’s the best I’m getting for now. Next time I’ll have to show off more.