"Prince! W— why won't you love me? I loved you with all my heart!"
*Pitter-patter*
The sobbing screams of a woman mixed with the thunderous rain and were almost not heard.
The cold rain poured down from the clouds and mixed with the dirt to make mud. The ominous dark clouds shielded the world from the sun. In the middle of the world was a beautiful girl and a handsome guy.
However, instead of a romantic ambience, the melancholic sound of a violin could almost be heard.
"You don't understand, do you?" The handsome man— the prince, looked down on the woman kneeling on the ground, looking up at him.
*Splash*
He slowly walked closer to her with every step splashing the mud. His polished black shoes were getting drenched in mud and water, still, he continued his way.
After the girl was within his reach, he stretched out his hands and pulled the girl to his height by her hair.
"Kyaa!"
The woman squealed in pain and tried to resist, but the man was too strong for her. He glared at her dead in the eyes, unmoved, and spoke cold words to her ear.
"You'll never be the main character. You're just a side-kick."
"Aah!"
A gorgeous carriage in the middle of the road suddenly shook and a scream was heard.
"L- lady Azzella! Are you okay?" The driver quiveringly asked. He hurriedly stopped the horses and looked back.
His eyes darted to a gorgeous woman sitting in the carriage, breathing heavily. She laid her hands on her chest, seemingly attempting to ease her heart. Beads of sweat gathered in her temple and jaw and she seemed to be suffering.
Upon closer look, one would also notice the slight darkness in the bag of her eyes, especially in contrast to her fair complexion.
After seeing her condition, the driver hurriedly ordered one of the servants to fetch some water for the girl.
…
After gulping a bottle of lukewarm water, the girl closed her eyes and breathed deeply to calm down.
Seeing this, the carriage driver softened his voice when asking, especially since he knew that when his lady is trying to calm down, she needs silence. "My lady, are you having nightmares again? Should we stop and go back?"
The lady's sharp and straight eyebrow slightly twitched in response, but after she opened her eyes, the previous event seemed to have not occured. Her eyes were immediately cleared of uncertainty and were filled with determination, as if the nightmare was just an illusion.
Azzella looked at the driver and denied. "Ron, There's no need for that. And I am sure that mother and father would most likely… not favor it."
"But my lady! Ever since you've been admitted to the academy, you're getting… like… sluggish!" Ron, the driver, expressed his worries.
"Did you mean to say 'lethargic'?" Azzella butted in.
"Anyway, still, mother and father wouldn't want me to miss this opportunity. Especially since only 1 in 1,000 nobles can enter." Despite the worries of the driver, Azzella still pushed through and continued on with her choice.
"Haa… I understand. But please, do take care… okay?" Ron sighed in helplessness and relented.
…
The carriage continued on its way while the lady peeked through between the gaps of the curtain of the window carriage. Her blue eyes were looking in a direction but they seemed to be out of focus, indicating deep thought.
'It's finally time, huh…' Azzella thought, as if she's been waiting for this time her whole life. That is because she actually does. She knew all along that she would eventually be admitted to the academy.
Still, if the academy was such a good opportunity, why would she want to miss that?
That is actually because she is a person who reincarnated into who she is now, Azzella.
Before she reincarnated, she was just a normal office girl who lived a normal life. With her interest in otome games, she happened upon a game called 'wounded souls', which also happens to be the world she reincarnated into.
Of course, it was dreamy to live in the world with the characters that she likes. But the thing is, she reincarnated in the body of the side-kick, Azzella, who would die because of jealousy against the female lead. So now, instead of enjoying her time, she was constantly worried about her fate and many unanswered questions she was deeply curious about.
"Haaa…" Azzella sighed upon thinking deeply and not finding any answers, it was then that a sound freed out of her thoughts.
"My lady, we've finally reached our destination." Ron notified her.
Azzella removed all of the thoughts in her head and let curiosity grow in her mind.
She looked out of the window and a monolithic structure struck her eyes. A large structure peeked out of the gray walls. It was merely a fraction of the full beauty of the academy, but Azzella's expectations immediately escalated.
Hundreds of carriages were also parked near the academy gate, all in a row. Where they, too, followed.
…
In the middle of waiting, a commotion suddenly appeared which attracted the attention of Ron.
"What's that?"
Numerous questions and muttering could be heard as a small figure could be seen from afar, and it was all soon silenced seconds after the said figure appeared.
"M- my lady! Look! It's the royal carriage!" Ron notified in a silent scream.
This immediately attracted Azzella's attention in which she quickly looked out.
A grandiose golden carriage, decorated with beautiful and shiny ornaments and carried by four clean and white horses sped up. The clear *klitiki klack* sound of the iron horseshoe was the only sound resounding in the silence, clearing out all the gossiping sounds.
However, the most prominent figure was the image of a crown on the side of the carriage, which immediately made all of the nearby people nervous.
The carriage went straight to the academy gate and stopped. After which, among the latin soft curtain extended out a fair yet lean and masculine arm, with a badge in the hand.
'That arm!' Seeing that arm quickly reminded Azzella of one of the love interests— the crown prince!
The introduction of the prince quickly surfaced in her mind: "The crown prince— gorgeous, hot, and wealthy. Truly the son of a king. With the whole kingdom in his hands, what else doesn't he got?"
The school officer looked at the badge and quickly opened the gate for the prince, and soon, they were gone. Though the commotion soon came back as soon as they were gone.
…
After an arduous amount of paperworks, while lost in thought, Azzella was finally given school clothings, a book about school rules, and a student I.D which grants permission to enter the school grounds.
Ron looked at Azzella with teary eyes and bid farewell.
*Clang*
The clear sound of metal resounded as the metal gate of the academy opened up and the full view of the academy was soon shown.
A giant building made out of pristine white stone and clear glass for windows stood in the center of a gigantic lush garden and clear pathways.
The word breath-taking was especially fit for the description, especially with Azzella's slightly open mouth.
"Welcome to the Ellis Academy. I am your guide for now." A young man silently welcomed her inside.
Azzella looked at the young man, then to the building.
'... It's finally starting, huh…'
After taking a deep breath to calm down, she followed the guide to look around.