'Change of plans.'
I said in my head as I stared at the ceiling of my room. I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare.
I dream of Lory chasing me to the woods with a dagger in both of her hands. Her violet eyes stared at me menacingly. Everywhere I went, Lory was always able to find me. No matter where I run, I would always find Lory behind me.
So after having that nightmare, I can't seem to find the courage to go back to sleep again. Furthermore, my mind can't seem to stop recalling everything that happened ever since I transmigrated in this body.
At first, when Lory escorted me to the Academy, I was expecting that everything would be easy as long as I entered the academy, but it appears that I was mistaken. I think I made the wrong decision to continue to enter this academy, but everything has already happened, and I can't do anything to change what has already happened.
So, after thinking it through, I decided to change my plans, but of course, I won't change my goal. The ultimate goal is to live a hermit life in a far away forest, and I'm not going to give that up, however, I will change the plan. Since my first plan didn't work, I could only reluctantly change it.
As much as I want to avoid the characters in the novel, I have already made contact with them. Not to mention that I have a contract with Alexandra, and I'm pretty sure that Penelope will not leave me alone.
Anyhow, I have been thinking it through, and after getting a good rest, I finally have the energy again to handle these unprecedented dangers.
Night time is really the time where my brain works best. I'm a night owl after all. Plus, I can't fall back to sleep, and that's why I decided to create another plan to change my ending. I have time anyway.
What's more, meeting the main characters in the novel brought pressure and burden on my heart. I can't afford to make a single mistake. Every decision I make would lead to consequences.
I need a plan that would work. Something that would lead to my smooth sailing ending.
My first plan was just too simple, and simple will not work in this bloody world. This world is complicated. There are second-genders. There is magic. There are people with twisted minds that seem to think it's normal.
I need to bring my A-game if I want to survive in this world. Otherwise, I could only face the same tragic ending that the original Nasrin encountered in the novel. I might not die from Lory's hand, but I might still die from the hands of others. Like Penelope for example.
So what plan should I make? A plan that would lead to my smooth sailing ending. Where I could live in a far away forest as a hermit.
I turned my head to the side and saw the sleeping princess. A quiet snort came out of my mouth, the whole situation suddenly felt funny to me.
Who would have thought; that a day would come where I would become roommates with a royal princess, and this princess was made to clean the room by me.
I stared around the room. It wasn't clean thoroughly, but it isn't bad for a princess who doesn't do chores.
If I was still the same me as before, I would probably not believe that this would someday happen to me. Yet, here I am, inside the body of the villain in that novel.
Wait, speaking of that novel…
Something has already changed in the plot of the novel to what was happening here in the present.
In the original plot, the villain became roommates with the protagonist. And since the Nasrin Urduja in the novel felt disgusted that her roommate was a commoner, she tried to file a complaint to the academy, but the academy ignored the villain's petitions. So Nasrin turned her anger on the protagonist instead. The villain then started harassing the protagonist after that.
However, now that I suddenly got transmigrated in this body, I didn't do any of those to the protagonist. And I will not do them. That's not me.
Whatever the case, this body is going to differentiate to an alpha in the future. Which put me to become roommates with the princess instead. Things really happened differently from the plot.
However, all I did was act like a decent human being.
I didn't do anything grand. Except for embarrassingly hugging the professor's thighs to make me pass the entrance exam, all in all, I didn't do anything extravagant.
As I fell in my thoughts more deeply, I slowly became more enlightened of what to do.
All I have to do is just act like a decent human being. Just lay a smooth life for others. If I succeed in preventing those miserable events from happening; then slowly but surely, my smooth sailing ending would also progress.
That's why I need to support Alexandra and the dean master with their relationship. Prevent anyone that would get in their way. Don't bully the protagonist, and also lend the protagonist a helping hand to the best of my ability.
To think it was just as simple as this…why did I make it seem so complicated in the first place?
Suddenly transmigrating in this world really made me panic, and I really thought that I was doomed. I was so scared at the tragic ending of the villain that everything became a mess in my head.
However, my life isn't doomed.
What happens in this moment forward depends on the decisions and actions I make. 'My life doesn't depend on a mere plot of a bloody novel,' I said in my head as I became enlightened.
With a clear sorted mind, my eyelids slowly became heavy. Slowly, my eyes went closed, and in my dreams, I was living in a far away forest as a hermit.
The next day.
I woke up much earlier than I had expected. I stood up and yawned, stretching my long legs and arms. I think I'm slowly adapting with this new body.
Suddenly, my stomach let out a loud growl. It couldn't be helped since I forgot to have lunch and dinner yesterday. I was too preoccupied and didn't have the time to care for this body.
I stared down looking at myself that was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. After having that argument with the princess, as soon as I laid down on my bed, I instantly fell asleep.
I was actually only planning to take a quick nap, but I fell into a long slumber instead.
By the time I woke up in the middle of the night, I already missed dinner, and the academy won't make special arrangements to open the dining hall again for students who miss the timetable.
Moreover, students aren't allowed to go outside their respective rooms during curfew hours. I was also too busy thinking of ways to survive in this world, so I totally forgot about taking care of this body. Which isn't a good habit to develop.
I need to take care of this body even if this body isn't mine to begin with. I'm now inside this flesh and bone, so I can't be neglectful lest I want to die in starvation instead.
With my stomach whining in hunger, I hurriedly walked to the bathroom; to change my clothes into my uniform and to take a shower.
That's right, to take a shower, indeed.
What I like about this academy is that they also prepared a small bathroom for each dorm room. That means students can change clothes in privacy, and privacy is really important to me.
I stared at the person in front of the mirror. Which is now me. Or not?
Anyway, I proceeded to take off my brown boots. I then undress the knee-length dark coat. Which had some dried blood stain on the collar. I ignored it and dropped it on the floor.
Next, I untied the lace of the sleeveless jerkin jacket. That also had dried blood stains on its collar. I strip my pants, the bandage on my neck, and everything else. That left me naked in front of the mirror. Which looks quite nice like the body of a supermodel.
This body isn't bad. Except for the cut on my neck and purple bruise under my chin. Everything else looks pleasing and aesthetic in the eyes; it made me feel quite satisfied that I suddenly have a supermodel body. But I'm still not used to it, it feels weirdly perplexing to be honest.
After that, I brushed my teeth and took a nice shower.
Speaking of showers. When I first transmigrated in this world, I was surprised to discover that there is a shower in this world.
Before departing to the academy, there was a granny that took care of me and answered my questions.
So one of those questions was why in the world there's a shower in this world. Despite looking at me like I have grown three heads, the grey haired elderly woman still nevertheless answered my questions patiently.
Granny said that every bathroom has showers which shocked me again, and so she explained further that there are magic stones that are used as a mana source for the shower. The shower in this world squeezes out the mana on the magic stones and alters the composition of the mana to the property of water.
Anyhow, despite hearing granny's explanation, I still couldn't comprehend the logic and technicality behind it. I was originally a soul that came from a world with no magic, so it was kind of difficult for me to suddenly adjust my state of mind and think that it was typical.
Well, in this world, those things were considered customary and are part of their daily ordinary life, but for me, it isn't.
Anyway, I don't know how, but there's a shower in this world despite having its theme set in the mediaeval era, and it made me a bit relieved that I won't live an unhygienic life.
After cleaning up myself. I took a towel and dried myself, and then I dressed myself with the academy's uniform. Long red coat, white long sleeve, and dark pants, and a pair of leather boots.
Students aren't allowed to stroll outside in the academy if they aren't wearing their uniform. Yesterday was an exception because it was the registration day for new in-coming students. That's why I need to change my clothes to my uniform first before having breakfast.
I stared at the mirror again and examined my reflection.
Well, the cut on my neck has already dried, so I wore a choker to hide it. It still stings but the pain is bearable.
I just don't know what to do with this purple bruise under my chin, but I shrugged and decided to let it heal with time.
I then took the manaphone that Penelope gave me and shoved it on the pocket inside my coat.
I look at myself in the mirror once more. Even though this body isn't mine, I still nodded satisfied, seeing myself clean and neat.
After checking myself in the mirror, I picked my dirty clothes and decided to wash them on weekends.
When I went out of the room, I saw that the princess was already up. Cliopatra had an impatient expression on her face. Her hands were crossed together in her chest. She was sitting cross legs on the chair as she stared at me with a glare.
"What took you so long?" Cliopatra complained.
I shrugged and said, "if you don't want to wait again next time, then wake up earlier than me."
Cliopatra clicked her tongue. "Whatever, anyway, you need to wait for this princess to finish," she said in a commanding tone.
I knitted my brows. "Why would I wait for you?" I said.
"Oaf, a princess should always have an escort when she leaves her room, and naturally, that escort is you," Cliopatra said, smirking at me as she raised her chin arrogantly.
I stared at her blankly and said, "I'm going to the dean master's office."
"You're using my aunt again to blackmail me?" Cliopatra growled.
Cliopatra sounded the same as Penelope, but compared to Penelope, Cliopatra's angry growl only sounded like a kitten's cries.
So I ignored her and walked to the right side of the room. I fix my bed and then arrange my things in the cabinet. When I turned around, I saw Cliopatra watching me.
"What are you looking at?" I asked as my brows furrowed suspiciously.
Cliopatra opened her mouth and said, "it seems that you know how to clean, then why didn't you clean up the room yesterday?"
"Why would I clean up after your mess?" I scoff.
"Naturally, because I'm a princess, Oaf," Cliopatra sneered, raising her chin proudly.
I stared at her and flatly said, "I'll tell the dean master…"
"Nasrin Urduja," Cliopatra interrupted as she glared at me.
I only smiled as a response.
Cliopatra clicked her tongue and said nothing as she strode forward inside the bathroom. However, she opened the door again and peek her head behind the door. "You," she pointed.
"What?" I muttered.
"You wait for me," Cliopatra said seriously.
Seeing how serious Cliopatra looks, I suddenly felt the itch for teasing. My lips curved to a mischievous smile as I opened my mouth and said, "only if you ask nicely, of course, not as your escort but as a friend."
Cliopatra stammered, "frie…friend?"
"Yes, friend," I repeated with a teasing tone.
Suddenly, the princess smiled brightly and went in front of me. "You," she pointed again with a grin on her face. "You think of me as your friend?" Cliopatra said with a slight tone of happiness.
Cliopatra stared at me like she found a new toy to play with. Seeing Cliopatra being excited about the word friend, I suddenly remembered the story in the book.
In the novel, Cliopatra never had a friend because of her status as a princess, and people always treated her differently. That's probably why she grew up conceited, arrogant, and self-entitled. So when Nasrin Urduja tried to pursue Cliopatra; Cliopatra only developed a sense of dislike towards the villain. Probably because Cliopatra could feel that they're the same breed.
"Oaf," Cliopatra called.
I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at Cliopatra.
"You, do you think of me as a friend?" Cliopatra said as she tilted her head to the side, staring at me expectantly.
Cliopatra is actually not that bad. In the novel, Cliopatra always tried her best to protect Kendra. Well, there's nothing wrong with being friends with Cliopatra, because she will help Kendra in the future.
Furthermore, one of my goals is to support the protagonist in order to achieve my smooth sailing ending. If I befriend the future lover of the protagonist and play the matchmaker with those two as well, then slowly but surely, my goal of reaching a smooth sailing ending will not be far.
My lips curve to smile as I stare at Cliopatra. "If you stop spouting about status and princess bullshit then maybe yes," I answered honestly.
Cliopatra grinned from ear to ear. "Alright, then you don't have to call me princess anymore, but you have to wait for me," she said.
"Then hurry up because I have a schedule today and I'm hungry, I don't want to miss the schedule in the dining hall again," I said as I felt my stomach rumble.
Hearing my complaining stomach, Cliopatra gave me a piece of chocolate. "I sneak in some snacks, but don't tell anyone or else, we'll both be punished," she mumbled in a whisper.
I nodded and ate the chocolate. It somehow appeased my hungry stomach.
"Thanks," I said as I looked at her.
However, I noticed Cliopatra had her eyes narrowed.
I stared at her as I absentmindedly asked, "what is it?"
Cliopatra then suddenly walked to her cabinet. "Wait here, I have some ointments that can heal your wounds fast," she said.
After that, Cliopatra went to me again and applied some greasy ointment under my chin. "Look," she said, grabbing a small mirror and displaying my healed chin through the reflection.
Seeing my healed chin, I also showed her my neck, and Cliopatra gasped, looking at the cut on my throat.
"It's hideous," Cliopatra commented.
My brows furrowed. "Rude."
"What happened to you? Why do you have–"
"A cat scratched me," I cut her off with a blank face, averting my eyes.
Cliopatra looked at me suspiciously, but she didn't say anything as she proceeded to put ointments on my neck. After this, the stinging pain on my neck also disappeared.
"Thank you," I said, smiling sincerely.
Cliopatra smiled proudly and said, "don't mention it, Oaf."
"Why are you still calling me an Oaf?" I complained.
Cliopatra rolled her eyes and said, "because you're an Oaf."
"Whatever brat."
Cliopatra mocked, "Oaf."
"Brat, if you don't hurry up then I'll have no other choice but to leave you," I said.
Cliopatra nodded and said, "I'll be quick, don't leave, alright?"
"Mm," I hum.
After making sure that I'm waiting patiently for her, Cliopatra finally went inside the bathroom.
I decided to go to the balcony as I waited for Cliopatra to finish. I smiled enjoying the scenery.