For the past few weeks, I have been forced to go to Cecil’s house to play. Don’t get me wrong, I love to play, but I need to study to have a bright future. Cecil seemed to understand that too and began to study as well…again. As it turns out, he has been studying since his talent was activated all to control his power (didn’t help much), and only stopped temporarily after meeting me. I really hope he stays smart when the game story begins. He is still afraid to touch people, but he isn’t as depressed anymore since meeting me…will this come to bite me in the butt later on…let’s not worry about that for now. I just want to study after a long time.

            Some of you must be thinking that I am one of those people who love to study, but I’m really not. I only study if I have a goal in mind and in this case, it is to get a stable job, get married, have kids, and grow old happy! I can do this…is what I thought until I opened a new book about foreign languages…I CAN’T READ THE WRITING IN THIS BOOK! I know that this book is a foreign country book, but shouldn’t there at least be a translation.

            Now that I think about it, some of you might be wondering how I was able to read the handwriting of this world at the age of two without proper teaching, well that’s because the language written in the book was a mix of English and French. I spoke fluently in English and French was the second language I learned to pass my high school. Learning French made me realize what my favorite dish Escargot was: snails. I never ate Escargot again and I curse myself for learning French. I’ll never get to taste it again.

            Anyway, even though the universal language is English here the writing is a mix of two languages that I luckily learned, but this book is a mix of two languages as well, but I don’t understand it. That’s because the languages are Latin and Chinese. I never needed to learn these two languages, so I have no idea how I am going to read this book. Where’s Rosetta Stone when you need it?

            I seriously want to read this book, but I can’t. Maybe I can start learning those languages just so I can read this, but I don’t think my father has any books that can teach me these two languages and I haven’t even heard what these languages sound like making it even harder for me to learn. What to do?

            A light bulb went off in my head. It is time to do something that I haven’t done since I was born.

            Within moments, I was in front of my father in his office kneeling on all four with my forehead touching the ground with Bibi (teddy bear form) right beside me.

            “Please let me leave the mansion to go to the bookstore!” I exclaimed as loudly as I could in my bowed form.

            I couldn’t see my father’s face, but I did hear him scoff. I mentioned that my family hated me and it should be pretty obvious by now, but they don’t even let me leave past the back forest of the mansion. They don’t want outsiders seeing me. I actually learned that my father didn’t want my uncle (Cecil’s father) to see me either, but since I overheard the conversation, he was afraid I would wander in by mistake and so had no choice, but to introduce me. I guess in the original game Laveda never met Cecil when she was young and only Abigail met Cecil.  

            The only time I am allowed out now is when I am visiting Cecil’s mansion, but I don’t want to use him as an excuse.

Never mind that I need to convince my father to let me go to the bookstore at least. I need to learn to read this language without depending on Cecil’s influence. I peeked at my father and saw him with a displeased look. Is he going to say “no,” even though I am throwing away my pride to beg him to go out?

“I’ll allow it.”

Did I hear right? Did my father just say that he would allow it?

“Really?”

I had to make sure that my ears weren’t playing tricks on me.

“Yes, but you are not allowed to say which family you are from. Do I make myself clear?”

I nodded, still shocked that he actually agreed…now that I think about it, my uncle did scold my father for punishing me before without reason. I guess my uncle really scares my father and my father doesn’t want to be scolded for not letting me out. I really like my Uncle.

I don’t know what came over me, but I ran to my father and hugged him, thanking him repeatedly. I expected my father to shove me away, but he just stood still. Now that I think about it, I haven’t hugged my father ever since the crystal said I had no talent in magic. This actually feels nice. Before my father had the nerve to shove me away, I pulled away and went out with Bibi in my arms to search for a driver willing to take me to the bookstore.

I managed to find an elderly driver employed by my family to drive me to the bookstore in town. Unlike the other servants who gave me the cold shoulder, this driver was nice to me. If I remember right, his name is Tulio. He was never introduced in the game, so he must be a minor character that doesn’t even have a visual, but that’s fine because he is nice.

I rode in the carriage as Tulio instructed the horses to go down the road toward the town. I never mentioned this, but my mansion is pretty far from town. My father loves the quietness of the forest, so being near town would have been a problem for him. I don’t mind being far from town, but I did want to visit it at least once.

When the town was in sight, I ordered Tulio to stop the carriage. I could tell that he was confused, but I had a very good reason for making him stop. I got off the carriage and did a small curtsy saying, “I promised father that I wouldn’t reveal our family name when I go to the bookstore, so arriving in the carriage with our family emblem isn’t wise, so I will walk from here. Just promise to be back in this same place at 3:00 P. M.” Tulio seemed to understand as he yanked his pocket watch from his pocket and began to adjust it.

I did one small bow, before taking my small white bag and Bibi from the carriage and began to walk toward the town in the distance. I could hear Tulio driving away as I walked to town.

When I arrived in town, it was filled with so many unfamiliar faces that I nearly panicked. The buildings were ten times my size and the sound of the people talking was almost deafening. Maybe I should have asked someone to come with me…no I have to do this on my own. I took a few steps forward, only to collide with someone and fall on my butt. This is embarrassing.

I didn’t mention this, but the day before, there was a storm, so the ground is very, VERY wet and muddy. My dress is now a mess. At least if I accidentally mention my last name, no one would believe me.

“Are you OK?”

I look up at the owner of the voice and saw a boy with long deep blue hair. His voice is kind of deep and he looks too young to be an adult so maybe a teenager that just reached puberty…actually he’s definitely a teenager judging by the school uniform he is wearing. If I remember right, that school uniform is for a magic academy, but the color is wrong. The school uniform for my country is pure white and this boy’s uniform is a light green with some gold lining. Reminds me of St. Patrick’s Day. His blue eyes are slightly foreign, so he must be a foreigner from a different country, but his English is pretty good.

“Are you OK?” the boy asked again.

“I’m fine,” I managed to squeak out. I really am fine, even though my pride as a girl was hurt by getting mud all over my dress, but this boy looked really concerned. Do I look hurt to him? It really was my fault for not seeing him.

“Doesn’t your hand hurt?”

My hand…now that I think about it, my lefthand hurts quite a bit. I looked to my left hand and saw that a shard of glass had pierced through my hand…MY LORD IT HURTS! I began to bawl ready to yank the glass out, but the boy held my wounded hand saying, “Don’t cry, I’ll take care of it.” I nodded with tears still falling from my eyes.

The boy immediately yanked the glass out and then water emerged from his hand. The water wrapped around my bleeding hand and it surprisingly didn’t hurt. I sometimes forgot that the water element has healing properties. He’s so nice to heal my hand…why does he look so familiar?

The wound on my hand practically disappeared. The water vanished when the boy closed his hand and then helped me to my feet with mud dripping from my form. This is really embarrassing.

He crouched down to my eye level and stated, “My talent in the water element is still in training, so please see a doctor about your hand to make sure that it is better.” I nodded, but I planned to check it myself when I was alone…now that I think about it, where is Bibi?

I glanced back at the place I had fallen before and saw Bibi’s teddy bear form covered completely in mud.

“BIBI!”

I immediately lifted Bibi wiping off any loose mud. I better use my Water Talent to clean him later.

“I see that your teddy bear also got dirty.”

I glanced back at the boy holding Bibi’s dirty form to my already dirty dress. The boy’s face was filled with guilt, but it really wasn’t his fault that Bibi and I are dirty, so no need to feel guilty.

Suddenly, water began to surround my body. The water made the dirt on my form and Bibi vanish, before disappearing. I was as clean as a whistle and dry as well. I noticed the boy was smiling now and it didn’t take a detective that he cleaned up my form and Bibi. He is so nice.

I thanked him with a small curtsy and the bow bowed at his waist. I meant to leave for the bookstore once again and to check my hand in secret, but the boy suddenly asked, “Would you like me to walk you somewhere as my apology for making you fall?”

“There’s no need. The fall was my fault and the bookstore shouldn’t be…”

Oh, Shoot, this is my first time in town, so I have no idea where the bookstore is located. I fidgeted a bit with Bibi’s teddy bear form and then glanced at the boy with a troubled look.

“Can you please guide me to the bookstore?”

The boy was silent as he stared at me making me wonder if he actually understood what I said, I mean he is a foreigner. He began to chuckle and smiled at me. My Lord, he has such an angelic smile.

“I am heading to the bookstore as well to meet with my friends,” stated the boy and then held his hand to me, “Let’s go together.” I nodded, smiling this time, and took his extended hand.

As we walked down the road, I still wondered why he seemed so familiar…now that I think about it, I really shouldn’t trust a stranger so easily, but he is nice so far…I’m starting to get nervous.

“By the way what is your name?” I asked suddenly out of nervousness. That’s right, if I know his name then he is no longer a stranger.

“Shouldn’t I hear your name first?” he asked in a playful tone. It sounded like he was teasing, but he is right, it is proper etiquette for the person asking for the name to give their name first.

“My name is Laveda…”

Shoot, I promised father not to reveal our family name…

“…Reina. My name is Laveda Reina.”

I never thought I would ever use my previous life’s last name, but it feels nice to say that name again after so long.

“Laveda Reina, a very lovely name. Well then, my name is Ryunosuke Bosatsu, a visiting student from the country of Arandra.”

Ryunosuke Bosatsu and just as I thought he is a foreigner…WAIT A MINUTE, Ryunosuke Bosatsu is the name of the teacher in the Otome game! I met another capture target? This seems so unreal.

“Are you all right, Laveda?”

Oops, I guess I showed my shock on the surface.

“I am fine, Sensei.”

“Sensei?”

Oh crap! I remembered calling him that whenever I played the game. It is a Japanese term, but it seemed so fitting for his character in the game.

“It’s just that your demeanor is just like a teacher.”

That excuse sounds lame.

Ryunosuke began to chuckle again and stated, “Don’t feel embarrassed. I feel honored to be called ‘Sensei,’ so feel free to call me so.”

My heart practically skipped a beat at his words. Ryunosuke is very nice. I wish that he would teach me in the future, but he will never be my teacher since I will be in the reject class when the game starts. Reality can be so cruel.

We are still walking toward the bookstore, so I might as well explain more about his background before we reach our destination. As mentioned before he is a foreign teacher in the magic academy the heroine will enter with the talent in the element of water as was demonstrated when he healed my hand and got me and Bibi clean. He is kind-hearted as he is now but has a fear of girls to the point of shaking and breaking out into a rash, except when he is teaching, the result of a trauma…that I am still working on remembering. It must have been pretty tragic for me to forget.

I want to explain more, but as I mentioned I don’t remember his background very well and I do hope to remember so I can get along better with him…but he might find me annoying if I pry too much. Now that I think about it, Sensei…I mean, Ryunosuke is holding my hand without any problems. Unless he thinks I’m a boy, which I doubt, his fear of girls hasn’t surfaced yet. Joy. I can be close to him without him panicking…I really need to remember how his trauma happened so I know how long I can be close to him.

“Laveda, we’re here.”