It feels so good to be free again! Just over two years have passed since I defeated the lesser dragon, and I am finally allowed to leave my home again.
I am now eighteen, and over the last two years, I have learned first-hand what it is like to be a prisoner. I had no privacy during the day as someone always kept an eye on me apart from social events. I was forbidden from leaving my family home. It was a nightmare, but at least father still allowed me to practice my magic in the garden. Noah and Marshal kept making appearances, so I never felt lonely. Still, I could have done without the times Zeno teleported into my bedroom. The only good thing about that pervert elf is that I mastered a barrier technique that shields a room. The sight of Zeno's surprised face as he smacked into that barrier still makes me smile to this day.
As for Bozzair, well, he is still as cute and tiny as he was two years ago. My mother and several maids keep feeding him treats, so I was worried about his weight at one point, but I make sure he gets enough exercise every day. He really is a good pet. He helped me improve my spell casting, is good at fetch, can feed himself and never makes a mess on the rug. The fact that Bozzair also helped chase off Zeno when he refused to leave is just the icing on the cake. At first, I was terrified of Bozzair and the day we would have our rematch, but now I cannot imagine life without him.
But now I am free from my home, and both Bozzair and I could not be happier. I smile as I watch Bozzair fly beside the airship I am travelling on. The airship is something straight out of fantasy would as it is just a regular wooden sailing ship with sail-like wings. Standing on the ship's deck, if it was not because we were sailing between clouds, I would have no trouble believing we were sailing across the sea. As for why we are on the airship, it is simple. The magical academy where the game takes place is built on a floating island. It looked beautiful on the game's cover, so I am looking forward to seeing it.
It is strange. I no longer feel nervous about attending. Noah is no longer a threat to me as we have a perfect brother-sister relationship. Marshall has grown up to be just as kind as his father, thanks to Arial's helping steer him away from corrupting influences. Zeno is still a problem, but at least he does not pose a threat to my life. I should have a perfectly everyday school life as long as I do not accidentally harm the heroine.
"Excuse me!"
And speaking of the heroine, here she comes. This is just how the game begins, with the heroine getting airsick and vomiting over the ship's railing. Everything about her is the same as it is in the game. She has long blonde hair tied in a bubble ponytail with flowers woven into her hair. My hair used to be just as long before I started cutting it, but hers looks a lot softer and smoother than mine ever was. The heroines blue eyes are wet with tears but still somehow look adorable. No wonder she is the game's heroine and had boys falling head over heels for her. If I was a boy, I would have not hesitated too… what am I thinking about? I should not be thinking about things like that when she is the only potential threat to me.
Her name is Ellis Lockridge, and unlike most otome game heroine's she is not a commoner. In the game, she is the daughter of a noble but has never been treated like one since she was born from an affair her father had with one of his maids. Ellis had a hard life. Her mother would beat her, and her father ignored her. The only reason why they started treating her like a parent should at the end of the game was because they enormously benefited from her marrying one of the love interests. I hope things still work out for her. Maybe I could set her up with Noah. As much as I want Zeno out of my life, I cannot push a problem like him onto Ellis.
I watch as Ellis runs over to the side barely, making it in time. It is a good thing we are flying over the ocean right now, so no one will get hit by the vomit. I feel bad for her, but at least we are nearly there. In fact, if things play out just like they did during the game, then I should be able to… yes, there it is! As I look up over the ship's bow, I see it and the sun rising behind the magical academy.
It is just as beautiful as I had hoped. I can see the schools ground surrounding a small lake that feeds a river. A waterfall pours from the side of the island, and a rainbow hovers above the school. It really is a sight to behold. The area around the school is covered with green grass and pockets of trees, with flower gardens surrounding each of the school buildings. I may have found the cherry tree where the elf king lives breath-taking, but the magical academy is something else. I cannot believe I get to study in such a beautiful place.
"Wow…" Bozzair had to pick now to crash into me when I enjoyed the view.
"I am tired now," Bozzair tells me as he makes himself comfortable on my shoulder. "Carry me for now."
"Sure," I sight stroking him under his chin. He seems to like it there. "Just give me a heads up next time you go crashing into me."
It took a lot of arguing with my mother to let me take Bozzair with me, but it was worth it. If the worse should happen, Bozzair can function as another line of defence. He may not look like it, but Bozzair can use magic far more powerful than any human can. That is, if he is not being surrounded by girls wanting to pet and hold him.
"Look! It's a baby dragon!"
Well, that did not take long. Before I knew it, a group of girls surrounded me wanting to pet him. I usually would not mind this, but these girls are ones I do not want to get close to. Daniella Allencourt. She is a tall, dark-haired girl, with the most notable thing about her being her massive chest. Seriously those things have no need to be so big. Charlotte Abel. A small girl with an equally small chest. She has a bad complex about her height and bust size. Charlotte is a girl with red hair and eyes and sharp nails that are more like claws. Finally, there is Rosalie Harrington. She is an average girl in terms of height and looks, but Rosalie is a cruel and cunning girl despite her average appearance. These three girls were my henchmen in the game, and like Marshal, they would all abandon me when I was being sentenced to death.
"Can I pet him?" Charlotte asks, standing on her tiptoes so she can reach Bozzair.
"Sure," I nod my head.
"Wow, his scales are so soft!" Charlotte squeals in delight.
Everyone is surprised by how soft Bozzair's scales are. When I asked about it, he told me that when dragons get older, their scales will harden. Rosalie nervously starts to stroke him too, but she does not have to worry about Bozzair harming her. He only attacks a certain pervert elf and people who try to hurt him. Daniella, on the other hand, does nothing. She just folds her arms, causing her too big to be true chest to jiggle.
"You're Angelina Lamonia, correct?" Daniella asks, looking me over. "Engaged to prince Marshall and rumoured to be an S ranked adventurer."
"That's me," I smile and nod.
Thanks to the king, I am still an S ranked adventure. It turned out he heard about my fight with the lesser dragon and forced me to remain enlisted with the guild. Unfortunately, he made a compromise with my father, banning me from taking quests but keeping me on standby in case of a national emergence. I wish I could have still taken quests, but my father got so mad whenever I suggested it I had no choice but to agree to this deal.
"I was hoping to get a chance to talk with you," I bet she was. "I think you would fit into our social group. You appear to have little friends, and us three are of similar social standing, so we are bound to get along."
"I'll think about it,"
"What are you talking about?" For some reason, she seemed offended by my answer. "You do not want rumours spreading around about you having no friends, do you? We are the perfect fit for you we can…." She steps closer and starts to whisper. "We can help you take care of… certain problems."
She looks to the heroine then back to me. Is she already plotting something against her? She cannot be. Daniella had no problem with the heroine in the game until I got her involved with the bullying. Something is not right here.
"I can handle my own problems," I tell her. I have no intention of harming the heroine, so I have no need for her help.
"You… shouldn't you be… I mean, don't you want to make her quiet the academy?"
I was right. Something is defiantly wrong here. I had no problem with the heroine at this point in the game. It is not until she gets to the first event of one of the love interest routes that I would start to bully her. Why would she insist I start bullying her now? Unless she knows about that. If that is the case, could she be like me? When the game ends, the Allencourt family inherits my family's land and wealth, but there is no way Daniella would know that. The only way she would have that knowledge would be if she played the game before. But that cannot be true. The odds of the two of us being reborn in this game are so low it would be nearly impossible.
"Why would I want that?" I ask her looking over to the heroine as she rests on the railing. "I have never met that girl before, so what possible reason would I have for wanting to make her quiet the academy?"
"I suppose it is not time," Daniella mutters, but I can still make it out. "Well, our offer to join our social group still stands if you change your mind, lady Lamonia. Charlotte, Rosalie, we are leaving."
"But I want to pet the dragon," Rosalie moans while Charlotte obediently falls in line behind Daniella.
"I am sure lady Lamonia will let you pet him some other time," Daniella tells her pulling her away.
We bid our goodbyes, and I look out at the academy again. I have a terrible feeling about Daniella. If she really is reborn and after my family wealth, she could try to frame me for something to get it. I hate to do this, but I might have to do a favour for Zeno to get him to keep an eye on here. If there was anyone else, I would have chosen them, but Zeno… he may be a pervert, but he is still good at uncovering the best-kept secrets. That will not stop me from slapping him if he tries anything, though. I might even let Bozzair cook him a little.
<0>
Why does it feel so bad? Why will it not stop? I do not remember it being so bad in the game. I cannot stop myself as I throw up again. Ellis Lockridge may have a tough body, but air sickness is a severe weakness. I am just glad it will end when the airship touches down. For some reason, I will not feel airsick once I get off this ship.
Come on, pull yourself together! I tell myself as I grip the railing I was leaning on and force myself to stand. I am Ellis Lockridge heart, for crying out loud! I am the heroine of this story and someone who can overcome anything thrown her way! I need to suck this up and get over this weakness if I want to save here.
Angelina Lamonia. People will call her evil and wicked, but she was just a henchman for the villainous prince. Angelina must have suffered more than I have as she grew up engaged to prince Marshal, but I will save her. I will rescue my beloved Angelina from that evil prince and make sure she survives.
There she is now! Oh, she is just as beautiful as I remember making my heart flutter. Even if she has cut her hair short… and looks stronger… and for some reason has a baby dragon on her shoulder. Wait! What is going on here? My dear Angelina was weak and submissive to the prince, but she does not look like that to me now. Could it be that I am not really the main character of that game? No. Everything else is the same, so I must be in the world of Freedom's Heart. Some things just must have changed. I hope nothing drastic has changed so I can still use my knowledge from playing the game to save her.
But if things have changed, I will not complain about her looks. Angelina looks hot. That new hairstyle suits her, and the slight muscles she has developed look so cool. Oh crap, I am drooling. I hope my Angelina did not notice.
"I will save you," I whisper to myself after I have taken cleaned myself up. Even if this world has changed, I will not let my precious Angelina be executed.