Trigger Warning: Sensitive content.
Amongst the dimly lit alleys, a slender figure moved switfly in the shadows, completely blending in and avoiding the castle's guards. As she reached the hidden passage, she went outside of the castle's walls and welcomed the bustling night life of the city. Finally puting down her cloak, a rush of cool wind greeted her.
"Ah, so cold!" exclaimed Marceline, delight evident in her smirk as she strolled through the place. The air was thick with the mingling scents of street foods and spices, while the lively chatter of vendors, the clatter of horse-drawn carriages, and the laughter of running children filled the cozy atmosphere. Marceline couldn't help but admire everything around her.
"This is much better than the castle!"
It had been weeks since Marceline reincarnated as the villainess in her new book, and she had fully adapted to the world she created. However, her life as the first daughter of the house of Bellafiore had been nothing but a plethora of instructors who visit her every day, teaching her subjects tailored for a young lady of her stature.
Marceline bought some sweets in the nearby store and sat on the bench, enjoying her adventure. She lifted her fingers and started counting.
"Literature, music, dance, history, etiquette, and social graces..." she murmured with a sigh, lowering her hand. "I'm still 16 in this world so I needed to attend all those classes. Thanks to the villainess specs, it didn't really take me long to learn all of them, but as a result, I'm left with nothing much to fill my days."
She took another bite of her food. "Aside from that, my family hates me, and I haven't found a new lady-in-waiting since I kicked out the last one. So, I really have no one to speak to. But that's alright! Being alone doesn't mean I'm lonely. I value my solitude."
Marceline lifted her gaze when an upbeat music suddenly reverbrated in the entire place. Some commoners, especially couples, even started dancing altogether. Marceline could not help but smile as she finish her sweet food. "Did I really expect too much that it would be dangerous here?" Marceline shrugged. "Maybe this world isn't too bad after all."
"Help! Somebody, please!"
As if fate had intervened with her thoughts, a sudden, piercing scream in the nearby alley caught her attention. Marceline roamed her eyes around, seeking anyone who might have reacted to the cry for help, but no one seemed to take notice amidst the joyous feast. Without hesitation, she bit her lower lip and sprinted toward the source.
"Shit..."
Marceline silently gasped as she stumbled upon a distressing sight. Her heart pounded inside her chest as the colors of the blood painted on the ground filled her brain.
There was a woman there, struggling to escape the clutches of the group of assailants who refused to cease their harassment on her, as if taking delight from her desperate cries.
"Please," she begged, her swollen face was filled with tears, "I'll get the money by tomorrow, I promise. Please spare my life!"
Marceline clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, blood starting to ooze out from her mouth. "I shouldn't be involved in this..." Her eyes quivered with hesitation. "But why does this scene stir such empathy within me? It's as though I'm also feeling her pain!"
She quickly wiped the blood on her mouth and inhaled sharply. She solidified her resolve and stepped into the scene, the dark shadows casted by the nearby walls covered her upper body.
"Leave her alone," Marceline spoke, her tone unwavering despite the flutter of nerves within her, every fiber of her being screaming for her to back down.
The attackers, momentarily taken aback because of her intrusion, paused for a moment and turned to look at her. One of them flashed a sly grin and shooed her away.
"Get lost, little girl. Mind your own business!"
Ignoring the insult, Marceline simply locked eyes with the woman, silently conveying a look of reassurance. Gathering her courage, she let out a resolute cry in an attempt to attract the attention of the nearby residents.
The assailants laughted at her actions. "Crazy girl! You being here is nothing but a coincidence. No one can hear you even if you tear your vocal chords shouting. We've hexed this place."
Marceline was momentarily startled by what the assailant revealed, but she stood firm on her ground. Stepping out from the shadows into the light, her features slowly came into view.
"W-Wait. Those eyes...."
Marceline glared at them. "You dare speak of magic against a noble?" She lifted her hand and acted like she was going to cast an offensive magic towards them. "Perhaps you wanted to try a taste of true magic?"
"W-Witch!"
Sensing the tide turning, the assailants quickly back down and dispersed in the darkness, leaving behind the woman covered in blood and bruises.
Breathless, Marceline offered her hand to the woman and helped her up. "Are you alright?"
Tears welled in the woman's eyes as she nodded, clutching Marceline's hand gratefully. "Thank you, miss. I don't know what I would've done without you."
Marceline froze, questioning herself if she even deserved the woman's gratitude. "Do I even...?'"
"What's bothering you, lady?"
Marceline's eyes widened when the woman suddenly cupped her cheek with her trembling hand. Meeting her gaze, she saw how the woman smiled at her softly, as if trying to comfort her of her inner turmoil even if that same woman was in a lot of pain.
"Aliyah," the woman murmured, stepping back from Marceline and offering a formal curtsy. Despite the pain etched across her face, she pressed on with her greetings. "I apologize for this unpleasing sight, but if I may be of service to you—"
"Shh," Marceline interrupted gently, reaching out and pulling the woman close by her waist to offer comfort. "You need not worry about that. You're safe now. That's all that matters."
****
One day later...
In the garden of Bellafiore's Castle...
"It's so nice in here. I never knew nature could be this relaxing!"
Marceline closed her eyes and felt the fresh breeze blowing on her face. As she leaned back in her soft, cushioned chair, sinking deeper into its comfort, she felt the petals of the flowers grazing her fingertips.
She smiled. "This must be the reason why people keep telling me to touch grass sometimes!"
"I'm glad to see you enjoying yourself, my lady."
Marceline fluttered her eyes open when she heard that gentle voice and the tinkling of teacups, bringing her back from the serene moment she had been lost in. Lifting her gaze, she smiled upon seeing the woman she had saved yesterday, now completely healed and fully recovered.
"How are you feeling, Aliyah?" Marceline stood up and circled around the woman, inspecting every detail before returning to her seat, grinning. "Is the castle treating you well?"
Aliyah greeted Marceline with a formal curtsy, exactly like their first encounter, yet this time, she harbored no pain anymore. Her light brown hair and golden eyes glimmered under the sun's gentle rays, exuding her warm complexion.
"I'm better than ever! It's all thanks to you, my lady," exclaimed Aliyah, seizing both of Marceline's hands. "I'll serve you until the end of times!"
"End of times?" mumbled Marceline, just as she was about to return the smile, when her brain recalled the system's voice from the day she was reincarnated.
"Most villains in every story are expected to meet their doom at the end. What makes your ending any different?"
Marceline blinked and finally let go of her maid's hands. "Aliyah, I'm sorry but I just remembered something I must do. Could you fetch me a pen and paper?"
"O-Of course!" Aliyah responded, puzzled by her young lady's sudden change in attitude. She came back quickly and put the pen and paper down the table. Seeing that Marceline was occupied with her thoughts, she decided to step back and give her young lady some time alone.
Marcelie took a sip of tea and grabbed the pen, tapping it on the table as she contemplated further about the system's words.
Until she arrived at a conclusion that made her body tremble with fear.
"...modifications will be automatically implemented without further notice to ensure the story's smooth flow."
"No way..." she mumbled, realization finally sinking in. Her fingers tapped nervously against the table as she mulled over the system's implications. "If I stray too far from my role as the villainess, it will do anything to get me back on track to correct the story? Is that why I acted like that when I'm dealing with the maid before Aliyah?"
"If that's going to be the case..." Marceline nodded her head a few times, unconsciously spinning her pen around her fingers as she tried to gather her thoughts.
She paused and steadied the pen, her gaze sharpening. "I need power."
She recalled the incident where she sneaked out and encountered Aliyah. If she did not use her status as a noble capable of wielding magic against those assailants, then perhaps, the outcome of that event would have been different.
It could have even cost her life.
Her eyes widened in realization. "Magic! I need magic!"
Marceline could still vividly recall the first day she reincarnated in that world, where the healer used magic to diagnose her. Those two golden circles with carved characters, rotating and matching their respective runes, and how they glowed beautifully, pulsing with arcane energies woven through their core.
She looked down at her paper and started writing some words. "Offensive magic. Hmm, perhaps I should go with fire because it's strong and destructive..." She wrote down the words, 'fire', in the paper. "What about self-healing magic? So I can—"
"What the?!" Marceline shouted when the paper suddenly burst into flames. The edges curled, engulfed in a fiery dance that devoured the writing before her eyes.
"I did that?"
Marceline could not believe what she witnessed. To confirm her suspicions, she grabbed one of the papers again and was about to write something when she suddenly thought of an idea.
"What if I write in the air?" she murmured, raising her pen. She began tracing invisible lines iin the air, her breath quivering with anticipation.
P A P E R
The moment she was finished writing the letters in the air, the traced lines shimmered like molten silver and shone brilliantly, prompting Marceline to slightly cover her eyes from its radiance. But from the gap between her fingers, she saw how the light morphed into a rectangular shape of light, materializing as a sheet of paper and gently floating down the table.
Marceline grabbed the paper and inspected it.
"I-It's the real thing!"
"My lady?"
Marceline was brought back to reality when Aliyah came back without any notice, panting as if she was in a hurry. Seeing how serious the situation was, Marceline put down everything and focused her attention to the maid, even though she was still giddy about her discovery.
"What is it, Aliyah? That seems urgent."
"An invitation arrived from the royal palace," revealed the maid, giving Marceline the envelope with the royal seal of the Kingdom Celestia. Marceline brushed her fingers to the engraved symbol of moon on the seal before opening the envelope.
Marceline's eyebrow flinched. "I'm obliged to present a new product from our workshop by the end of the season? Isn't this Cosmo's job?"
"The duchess! She's still pushing this responsibility to me, huh?" The corner of her lips curved into a sly grin upon reading its content. "Well, well. I won't back down easily."
Marceline, feeling empowered by her newfound ability, had put the envelope aside and smiled sweetly at her maid.
"Aliyah, I have something to request from you."
"What is it, my lady?"
"Please arrange me a tutor for magic classes."
"Pardon?" the maid asked, remembering what the other servants had told her about her young lady. "But my lady, you are..."
Oh. How can I forget that?
Marceline suddenly remembered the very highlight of the villainess' profile on her character worksheet.
Marceline Avery Bellafiore has no power whatsoever.
"I just confirmed something," thought Marceline. "I'm not bound by the notes I created for my novel. Supposedly, I must bear no powers at all, but here I am, creating things out of nowhere."
"Do not worry about it," reassured Marceline and winked at her maid. "Just trust me."
"Yes, I can manage this," declared Marceline inside her brain. "Before my novel continues where I left off, I'm basically free to do anything. I'll use the remaining time to master this power."
"Understood, my lady," replied the maid, completely hesitant and unconvinced with Marceline's argument.
Marceline smirked and looked at the envelope again. "I will prove them all wrong."
****
"I heard that you wanted to take magic lessons?"
Marceline was making her way back to her room after spending time from the greenhouse when her brother suddenly appeared along the corridor, wearing a smirk that tugged at her nerves. They walked side by side, followed by their servants, all while an awkward tension began to form between them.
"Surely my business isn't something of significance for my brother to pay attention to," answered Marceline, purposefully mocking her brother's evil intentions upon approaching her.
The direct translation is, 'fuck off'.
Cosmo sneered, running his fingers to his black hair. "So you do plan to take magic lessons.." His expression darkened. "But sister, that's not good."
Marceline stopped in her tracks and looked at her brother, furrowing her eyebrows upon the danger that laced his brother's words.
"What do you mean by that?"
Her brother smirked and paced around her, teasing her. "Father values his reputation very much. He would not be happy with this news."
Marceline's forehead creased, a knot tightening in her stomach as she processed his brother's words.
"What is going on here?"
Marceline's skin crawled when she heard her father's voice. Her head suddenly pulsed with a sharp pain that traveled down her veins, and it was as if a dormant reel had been triggered inside her mind, projecting images and resonating voices she didn't know that existed.
"Father, I beg of you! I can't go through this again! Please, don't leave me here!"
In her flashing memories, a young Marceline appeared, her small frame smeared with dirt, and her neck was shackled by a thick, iron collar with heavy, rusted chains. These unforgiving chains snaked upward, cruelly tethering her to the ceiling and restricting her movements. Little Marceline could only reach the bed and the toilet, intentionally placed within her grasp when necessary.
Yet, just beyond her fingertips lay the red line etched upon the floor—a boundary she could never reach.
Her father placed the keys on the metal rack positioned after the red line, where it dangled mockingly, a cruel symbol of unattainable freedom to Marceline's eyes.
"You must know better as the daughter of the house Bellafiore! As long as you do not learn your lesson, to be a beautiful flower that conceals its thorns, this dungeon shall remain your home."
"No! Father please..."
But despite Marceline's pleas, her father never even looked back at her. And just as he was about to close the door, little Marceline pleaded once more
"Wait! Please, father, just keep the light on a bit longer."
Her desperate appeals fell on deaf ears, and she was welcomed once again with darkness.