With heavy steps and a sad face. Isabella was walking through the halls as tears ran down her cheeks.
There was a pain in her chest that was too embarrassing to show. It was because the only source of this nasty feeling was no one but her.
She didn´t want to accept it. Not like this. Not with that woman.
Luck was not on her side since the day she was born as a commoner with irregular magic. There were struggles in every corner of her life. Money, friends, love. All those things that people enjoy so much are things that seem just like distant dreams for her.
Joining this academy was because her mother had begged her to try it. She had done so much for her, so refusing was not an option.
With little hope to face any changes, Isabella accepted and signed up to be a student in the academy. But what was the first thing that they told her?
That she was different. A threat. A mistake.
So much to even be marked as a demon by the academy itself.
Isabella wanted to curl up and scream. Throw a punch directly at the person that allowed such inhuman treatment to people like her.
If this place was not a death sentence, then it was a living hell.
Or so it was expected until she met him.
Dominique Foe Yatra.
She got a stunning first impression of him once they met. Not only he had mistaken her for someone else, but funnily enough became her first friend.
He even was an irregular like her.
With the same treatment and difficulties. He was someone that could understand her.
No.
The fact was that Dominique did not only understand their situation, but he had something to say about it. To everyone in the kingdom. And he proved to have the determination to do so. The bravery to stand firm against all the odds. And the clemency to become a symbol for all the good that an irregular could give.
It was like standing right beside the birth of a new legend.
Isabella knew that the man with a rising fist was special, and she felt pure bliss at knowing that her place could be at his side.
She could become part of that legend. Part of his life.
Maybe she could even be a reason strong enough to have his eyes attached to her.
To have his attention and care...
His... Love...
But then reality struck hard...
And the dream stayed as it was...
A dream...
The reality was too much to bear at the moment, so she chose to flee.
Away from everything and everyone.
A moment of loneliness was needed to heal...
"... This is just... So stupid..."
Her back rested against a wall. The morning light from the outside world attracted her eyes and caught her staring into the vastness of the sky.
"Why... do I have to feel like this?..."
Because things were not turning the way she wanted. Because she couldn´t have the things she craved for. Because the world was telling her to give up.
"Give up... I should give up..."
Yes.
There was nothing she could do to change the situation. Nothing was there to be done that would allow her desires to come into reality.
Nothing.
Her brain knew so and ordered her thoughts to accept it.
However...
"He didn´t give up..."
She was tired... Indeed exhausted from everything... Including this love...
"He didn´t step back when the odds were against him..."
But there was one thing that she was the most tired of...
"He rose. He stood his ground. He fought with everything he had"
And that thing was giving up.
"Even if today he´s not mine, nothing tells me that tomorrow will be the same!"
Isabella Li Thomas has had enough of that.
"No more standing still! No more running away!"
All the things that have happened to her were not her fault, yet, there was a fire that she chose to bury deep inside her.
The fire of rebellion.
"From this day onwards! I will not give up until I have tried my best!"
Rebellion against injustice, against horror, against her doubts.
With a fist in the air, she made a vow. To change and become a better version of herself. A figure that could not be replaced by anyone. Just like his maid.
No.
More than his lady.
"Dominique Foe Yatra. I´ll have you take responsibility for this"
A grin appeared on her now renewed face. And with a new set of steps, she returned to the place she had fled.
It was time to face her rivals.
**
It took some time, but I was done with Nicholas.
The deal was simple, but the details had the spice.
"You are more stubborn than your looks, Mister Dominique"
"Right back at you, your highness"
With a vow on paper and ink, we exchanged looks and a handshake.
"Please, we are partners now, don´t call me that"
"Oh? Is the prince forgetting how to make a line between work and private life?"
"I usually don´t give this privilege to anyone, you know?"
We let go of each other and stared into our eyes.
"My oh my. How lucky of me"
Before any of the other members could see us, I placed my fist on his chest.
"I´m counting on you from now on, Nicholas"
The face of the machine became brighter; as if a kid had received a new candy.
His hand grabbed mine and showed a smile.
"Leave it to me, Dominique"
Remaking my plans had become a new hobby with all these changes. So another addition to my calculation wasn´t so bad now that I had accepted the constant changes in this life.
Who would have guessed this situation?
The rebellious irregular and the first prince acting all close like this.
The author of the original story must be pulling out her hair right about now.
"Come on, let´s head back, everyone is waiting"
"You´re right, let us go"
As we agreed on that, the door was shut opened again. To my surprise, who was standing between the pieces of wood was no other than Isabella. Her eyes were a bit red, but there was some sort of strange confidence behind her.
I rushed to her side.
"Isabella? Your eyes, what happened? Did someone say anything to you? Just tell me who it was and I´ll- Mhm!"
She shut me up with her finger. "Thank you for your concern, but it was nothing like that, so don´t worry"
She gave me a warm smile. I knew that pushing the subject further was meaningless so I nodded and accepted her words.
"All right... But you know you can tell me anything, right?"
She stared at me for a moment. A tear slid down her skin, however, she dried up her eyes before I could ask her what was wrong.
The next thing I knew was that she was holding me in her arms.
"I´ll try my best... So wait for me... I need some time..."
I didn´t know what she was talking about. Nevertheless, I agreed with her and told her "Yeah, take your time" allowing her embrace to stay for as long as she wanted.
"Ehem!"
Or that was my plan, but...
"Hm?... Verónica?!"
I quickly pulled away from Isabella.
"W-When did you-"
"A moment ago. You could have noticed if you had gone a bit further from your... Friend..."
She was not happy. It rarely occurred, but when she didn´t care about her appearance, it was because something truly bad was going on.
Yet again, another strike for Dominique...
"T-This was not-"
"Save it. I know you did it out of concern for the wellbeing of your comrade, there´s no need for explanations"
She said that, but her mood didn´t improve a bit.
"R-Right... It was just that..."
"... I know... I know..."
An awkward silence fell between us. None of us could dare to look each other in the eyes.
"Yeah! He was just worried about me so there is no harm, right?!"
"Isabella?!"
"... You..."
The thing that broke this awful silence was nothing else but the sudden embrace of the heroine to my arm.
I felt how color abandoned my skin as Verónica stared with cold eyes at our image.
"Haaaah... Another one? Is this going to happen every time you meet a girl?"
Verónica´s head fell on her palm as she said that. A tired expression on her factions.
"W-What do you mean, this?"
"... You shut up, womanizer"
"Womanizer!"
"You are indeed someone suited for the title, master womanizer"
All of a sudden, the three women around me joined in a collaborative attack on my pride.
"Huhuhu. How very lively are things going to be with you around here"
Nicholas laughed slightly as the other members sighed with concerned looks. They both seem to have one or two words to give us but somewhat chose not to give them.
"I´m not made for this crap!"
Only this room was on my side, and still, I felt helpless.