Chapter 20

Shaking uncontrollably, Rabi stood at the classroom door. Let me remind you of the premise here. Although it has already been revealed, Nella believes she is controlling Rabi. No matter how much Rabi resists in her heart, she ends up doing as Nella says. Or so it should be.

"Hey, can you bully me here at this academy too?"

"That's impossible."

Rabi resisted completely. Nella, who had been denied, blinked repeatedly, trying to process the meaning of the words. Before Nella, who was gradually frowning, could speak, Rabi shouted, "Because!" Rabi wasn't just going up and down the stairs. She had been searching for a small opening, thinking of solutions, even if they might not exist. Nella's statement was "within expectations." However, it was far beyond what she had anticipated, and she responded without hesitation. Swallowing to mask her dry throat, she glared at Nella. She pretended to be scared and put on a show of defiance. This was the "Rabi" that Nella expected. Her trembling body was convenient.

"You're in a different class!"

"…What?"

"To bully me, you're not my maid anymore, right? You can't say things like my tea tastes bad or that I'm bad at cleaning. We don't even interact. What do you want me to do to someone like me?"

"There are plenty of things you could do. Oh, right, you have the textbooks distributed in the classroom. Since they're magic paper, you can't tear them, but... how about making them dirty? Or, you could push me down the stairs."

"That's impossible, I told you. I'll tell you, I stand out. It's impossible for me to sneak into your class and deliberately carry the textbooks. I would definitely be caught by someone around me."

If Rabi were a typical villainous lady, her followers would do the work, but Rabi had no such people. She had to act on her own. Just thinking about it made her want to cry.

"Think about it, too."

Rabi gently raised her right hand. Although her arms had more muscle than before, it was through thick undergarments, so the changes weren't noticeable. However, in Nella's mind, the memory of Rabi being a maid must have resurfaced. So, she decided to say something convincing.

"If I were to push you, my hands would shatter first!!!"

It wasn't a joke. "Besides, just standing here is painful. You want me to go to your class? I would definitely run out of strength halfway and collapse. What do you want me to do with a body like this!?"

Well, it's not that bad now.

But there was no way to make such an excuse, and Rabi could hear Nella's heart slowly distancing itself. She had won. It was her first victory. She clenched her lips to hide the victory pose she raised in her heart when the students gradually returned to the area. It was a place where there weren't that few people to begin with. It felt as if the original space had returned after the specified time for the reunion event in the original story had ended.

Nella, who was about to say something more, clicked her tongue quietly at the gathering gazes. She put on a fake smile and watched Nella's back as she quietly disappeared. "I did it!" Rabi couldn't jump for joy, but she quietly stomped her feet several times and clenched her hands. The original story could be avoided!

Rabi's strategy was to pretend to be stupid. It was as simple as that. It was true that she couldn't bully Nella, but there should be many ways if she put some effort into it. However, she wouldn't suggest any methods. She would say she couldn't think of any. Nella was no longer a maid of the Heathfen family. Rabi couldn't and wouldn't create a close relationship with her. It was unlikely that Nella would come to Rabi and ask to be bullied.

I can't, I can't do it. It's impossible, and if she continued to pretend to be incompetent, the time until her condemnation should be extended. During that time, she could make preparations for her escape.

However, the bullying in the original story, as Nella said, was a series of clichés: dirtying textbooks, throwing belongings into a pond, dumping buckets of water, and pushing people down stairs. The current Rabi might be able to do it, but the Rabi in the original story was a skeletal noble girl. Thinking about her carrying out orders while spitting blood made Rabi cry. She was a hard worker.

Doing a light skip would scare people around her, so she had been practicing stealthy movements and daily training. One day, during a class change, while walking through the corridor connecting the middle and high school, Nella inevitably bumped into Rabi. Even against a small heroine, Rabi was easily knocked away.

Although it was a school for the nobility of the entire country, the corridor was decorated with rugged, old-fashioned decorations. Rabi looked up while crouching. Nella, surprised by Rabi's lightness, and Baldo, who was standing next to her, probably reached out his hand to help Rabi, who had fallen pitifully. At the same time, Nella covered her mouth, pretending to be caught off guard, and shed tears. No, no.

Unable to hold back, Nella hastily wiped away her tears. "Nella?" Baldo moved his gaze between Rabi and Nella several times. It was easy to imagine that he would choose Nella.

"Nella, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

She immediately regained her composure. Despite her expression, she relaxed at the sound of her beloved man's gentle voice. A perfect story unfolded. With tears she couldn't hold back, Nella's cute face twisted. "I'm... so... sorry..." It was wrong, she shouldn't say such things. Despite her trembling voice, Nella began to recount Rabi's misdeeds, mostly clichés.

No, no, no.

(Didn't... do it...?)

Rabi was supposed to be living a peaceful school life. The number of people passing by gradually increased. Behind Baldo, Sai, with his usual stern gaze, glared at her. Fel, who had apparently heard the commotion, pushed through the crowd. Near the middle school, their homeroom teacher, Matthew, was also visible.

(No, this can't be...)

The condemnation event came to mind. It was a scene in the middle of the story where Rabi's sins were openly revealed in front of the targets. However, she hadn't done anything since the maid days, and it was too early. Moreover, one of the targets was missing. But, this...

"N-Nella..."

Her voice wouldn't come out. A useless, unresponsive puppet would be eliminated by force. Nella's actions exceeded Rabi's expectations. If it were a game, Rabi would be immediately confined to the house and wouldn't even appear in the execution scene. She was already the eldest daughter of the Harry family and had obtained the status of a noble. Moreover, she had laid hands on a saint, who was also the prince's fiancée. To erase the stain on the Heathfen family, the sentence was swiftly carried out. She was already known as a crazy, demon-possessed woman. Rabi's words would be ignored by everyone.

Various gazes pierced Rabi. Students, the prince, knights, her brother, and Nella. No one defended her. Her breath felt unbearably hot. She realized she was alone in this place. Every break time, everyone had seen Rabi disappear hurriedly. In reality, it was just for physical training, but that didn't matter.

The gazes were cold and suspicious.

(So easily, it's over...)

No, it's different, it's not right. She shouldn't give up. Nella still believed Rabi was being controlled. If so, she could take advantage of that and escape. Just as she was about to stand up, unexpectedly, it was the teacher, Matthew, who saved Rabi.

"What's all this commotion about!"

The handsome young man was cold to everyone, except for Nella, the saint. He was devoted to the concept of a saint. However, the current Nella was just a student, not a saint.

"The bell for class has rung long ago. The academy is not just a place to learn magic. It is a place to act with courtesy."

If you understand, go back to where you should be, he clapped his hands over white gloves. He looked down at Rabi, who was still sitting, and sighed in exasperation.

In any case, the atmosphere around them changed. The scene where Nella was the main character quickly collapsed. "Nella, I understand your feelings, but this is not the place for it now," Baldo's confused voice could be heard. Nella could only nod in response.

Among the students who disappeared like a receding tide was Fel. As a younger brother, he might have been ashamed of his pitiful sister. He left without saying a word. Among them, Sai, Baldo's guard, remained.

"How long are you going to sit there?"

His tall figure cast a shadow over Rabi. Was he disgusted or just exasperated? His low voice made her body tremble slightly. Rabi was walking on a thin, rope-like path without a safety line. It was understandable that her thoughts were delayed. "Oh, how embarrassing," she said, trying to cover up, and Sai sighed deeply. Then, with his long arms, he easily and effortlessly reached out.

His large palm lifted Rabi's body. She flinched.

"...So thin."

In an unintentional tone, he frowned and whispered quietly. His arm was holding Rabi's arm.

Her arms were thin and bony, not what you'd expect from a girl her age. Despite her efforts to hide them with clothes, they were noticeable when grabbed.

The previous Rabi had been ashamed of her body. However, as "Rabi," she thought such thoughts had disappeared. She believed there was no need to be ashamed because it was proof of her continuous battles. That's why she had cut her messy, ghost-like hair and stopped hiding her face.

Yet, Rabi was surprised at how deeply she was hurt by the casual words of a boy named Sai.

Her ears hurt terribly. Perhaps she had a pitiful look on her face. She bit her lip, too embarrassed to even say thank you, and fled from him. She felt like crying.

Behind her, a man stood there, stunned.