Why Did I Become the Villainess?

 I stretch my arms and yawn. I don't know why, but I feel like I sleep for too long. I feel my whole body feel numb. 

 I open my eyes and raise my hand to observe it, but I frown when I realize something is odd. But what is it? 

 I slowly get up and touch my head. I don't understand why I feel so weak. Getting up from my bed even took a great effort. It's as if I was sleeping for more than a day. 

 Professor Foulqueret told me last night that someone will show me around the school, so I need to freshen up. First impression lasts. So I need to make sure that I look great. 

 I was about to walk to my bathroom when I suddenly heard someone knocking on my door. The knocking sounds urgent.

 "Lady Csille! Lady Csille! It's an emergency. You need to get out of your room now."

 Emergency? What emergency is she talking about? Did something happen? 

 I hurriedly open the door. A young lady probably five years older than Csille welcomes me. I am about to ask her what is happening when she suddenly grabs my arm and drags me out of the dormitory building. 

 Outside the building, there are ladies still wearing their nightgowns crowding the front of the dorm. They are all looking at the dormitory building. I looked back and found fire in one of the rooms on the third floor. 

 It's the emergency the lady is talking about. My room is on the third floor. If she didn't knock on my door, can I get out of the room unscathed?

 I look at the lady and smile. "Thank you for saving me. If not for you, I will probably be trapped on the third floor."

 The lady looked at me and smiled. "Lady Csille, of course, I will help you. You're a friend of mine."

 I frown. A friend of mine? Did Csille meet her before? Because I am sure, I never interacted with anyone from here. I look at the necklace on her neck. The necklace has a name written on it. Lilla? Is it her name Lilla?

 Within just a few minutes, a group of young men, probably college students, take out a hose and attach it to a faucet. They start to water the room that is caught in the fire. 

 Medics and Professors also come to make sure that no one is hurt. 

 "Lady Csille?"

 I was busy checking other students' conditions when someone called my name from behind. I look back and see Professor Foulqueret walking towards me with a serious expression.

 I immediately feel anxious. Did I do something wrong? Why did Professor look mad? Last night, he was all smile at me. So, why does he looks like he's mad?

 "Professor Foulqueret. You're here. I—"

 "Lady Csille, are you okay? I immediately rushed here when I heard that the women's dormitory was caught on fire." He stares at me from head to toe before he sighs. 

 I nod my head at him. "Yes, Professor. It's a good thing that Lady Lilla drags me out of my room in time." I glanced at the lady, and she didn't say anything about the name I mentioned. So, that's really her name.

 "Thank you for worrying, Professor. However, there are students who got hurt because of the accident. You should check on them too."

 Professor Foulqueret sighed in relief. He made sure that everything was okay before he checked the other students.

 "Lady Csille, Professor Foulqueret seems concerned about you. Did you see how grave his expression is when he was searching for you?"

 Professor Ernest Foulqueret? Isn't he one of the characters I write in my novel? He is the Professor of Csille and also her cousin. Professor Ernest's mother and Csille's mother are sisters. But since Professor Ernest's mother married a businessman from Alderrdeen City, Csille didn't get the chance to meet him. 

 At first, Csille also finds it suspicious how Professor Foulqueret seems so concerned about her. It was revealed a year after her admission in Alderrdeen that Professor Foulqueret is her cousin. 

 I shrugged my shoulders. Although Csille already knows her connection with Professor Foulqueret, they still maintain a Teacher-student relationship. "Isn't he like that with other students?"

 Lilla didn't say anything. A few moments have passed, but the fire is still not extinguished. Throughout that time that passed, I asked Lilla about herself without her noticing that I was trying to get information from her. She told me she is my friend and it would be weird enough not to know any details about her. Even just the basic details.

 Lilla Vassellevé, one of the nobles from Frailens City. Her family is one of the influential families on it. It was said that her family is one of the richest in their City. Although their wealth cannot be compared to those wealthy families from the Kingdoms.

 The fire causes great stress to every student. The Professors asked the Principal to open one of the theaters in the school so everyone could stay there for a while. 

 It would probably take some time before they put the fire off since the fire spread to the third floor. 

 I close my eyes. It is my first day in Alderrdeen School of Knowledge, and this happened? Aren't I unlucky?

 The Professors tried to call down students. There are some students who are crying now. They are probably those students whose rooms caught on fire. 

 Although my room was caught on fire too, but I would rather have my room caught on fire than it is I who's on fire. 

 "Students, let's all calm down. I know all of you are shocked by what happened today. But we will do our best to deal with it. Rest assured, we will investigate the cause of the fire, and we will compensate your loss." One of the teachers step on the stage and calm the students.

 However, it seems futile because the students keep crying. Some are even wailing. 

 "Most of the students on that floor came from a common family. So, they cannot blame them if they keep wailing like that. Some of their parents even borrowed money just to send their daughters to this school. And in just one night, all their things were burned. It must be devastating." Lilla looks at the students who are crying loudly.

 Those ladies look like the same age as Csille and based on the dress they are wearing. They are really commoners. 

 "What will happen to them now?" I ask Lady Lilla. After she drags me out of my room, she never leaves my side. Is it because she was worried about me and saw me as her little sister?

 Lilla shakes her head. "I don't know. It's the first time this has happened. But I guess the school will compensate the students properly. You shouldn't worry. The Alderrdeen School of Knowledge is known for being fair. I'm sure they won't neglect those students."

 I nod my head. That's good to know. The only problem now is how they will make the students calm down. 

 The Professors tried their best to calm the crying students, but no matter what they do the students couldn't calm down. The teachers stare hopelessly at each other. They don't know what to do with the students. If this continues, some students might be affected, and that will become chaotic.

 Suddenly the door of the theater opens, and a man in a wheelchair that is being pushed by a guard enter. My eyes immediately widen when I recognize the man in the wheelchair.

 Prince Joachim Brissaud. The Forgotten Prince of the Yesian Kingdom. 

 What is he doing here? 

 Everyone gasps when they recognize who entered the theater. The students who were wailing earlier got silent. They just look at Prince Joachim with admiration in their eyes. 

 I raised my eyebrow and looked at the scene. Although I don't understand why Prince Joachim can be here, all I know is his presence calms the students down. Is it because of his handsomeness? 

 I know Prince Joachim is handsome, but I don't think it's enough to make wailing students calm down. 

 Professor Foulqueret walked towards Prince Joachim and whispered something to him. Prince Joachim nods his head, and he gestures to the guard who is pushing his wheelchair to push him towards the ladies who are crying earlier. 

 "Ladies, I know what happened is devastating. However, you shouldn't cry over something that was already in the past. I can assure you that everything you've lost today will be compensated properly. So, you shouldn't worry anymore. Those eyes are made for it to shine when you are smiling and not to shine because of your tears. It breaks my heart to see all of you crying." He gently said to the crying ladies.

 I feel my lips twitch. I cannot deny the fact that this Prince Joachim knows his way when it comes to women. After saying those words, all the ladies nod their heads and smile widely at him. 

 If I weren't here the whole time, I wouldn't expect that those ladies were wailing earlier. 

 "Prince Joachim is really a nice person. He can easily calm down those students with just a few words. But when the Professors said those same words, Prince Joachim said, it doesn't have an effect." Lilla looks at me. "Lady Csille, what do you think? Do you think Prince Joachim is a nice person?"

 Nice person? Is he really a nice person? I don't know. The words Princess Paislee told me about Prince Joachim keep lingering on my mind. 

 A dangerous prince? Is he really a dangerous prince? 

 I sigh. "He seems like a nice person. So I think he is." Although I still have doubts about him. But I didn't tell Lilla about it. Since I still don't have a concrete evidence that he is a dangerous person.

 "There, there. Don't cry anymore. The Principal has already asked someone to fix the dormitory building. In the meantime, all of you will be staying in the westside building. After the fire is extinguished and we all make sure that it is safe, we will let you get your things so you can move to your new room. For now, let's all calm down and wait for the go signal so you can get all your stuff." Prince Joachim said to all the students. 

 The students calm down after hearing Prince Joachim. They just gape at him like a fan staring at their idol. I looked at Lilla and saw her reading a book. 

 "Don't you like him?" 

 Lady Lilla looks at me and stares at Prince Joachim. "Prince Joachim?" She then shakes her head. "I don't. He's a Prince from one of the Kingdom. How can a mere someone like me dare to have feelings for him?"

 Although Prince Joachim is a forgotten Prince, he is still a Prince, and only daughters from noble families can be on par with him. Even if he is disabled.

 "Also, I like someone else." Lilla then looks at a certain corner. 

 I follow where she is looking. The medical scholars? She likes a medical scholar? 

 The Alderrdeen School of Knowledge has scholars for medicine. The school provides funds for the researches they are doing.

 It's also the reason why the Alderrdeen School is one of the prestigious and respected schools in this world because they produce scholars from different aspects of study. Science, History, Language, Arts and many more. Name it all, and the Alderrdeen School has scholars for it. Not just scholars but also excellent scholars. 

 I look around the medical scholars and frown. There are several guys from medical scholars, so who does she like? 

 I was busy scanning the surrounding when I saw a familiar face. I frown. Am I hallucinating, or what I am seeing is real? But that's impossible. How can he be here? I thought Rufus said he didn't hear any news from him? Also, how come he is part of the medical scholars?

 Wait. I squint my eyes and stare at him. Yes, it is him. But why does he looks so different? How can a person change so drastically in just a night? 

 I look at Prince Joachim, and I stare at my hand. My eyes widen when it dawns on me what is the strange thing I noticed this morning. 

 "That's him. I think you know him too since both of you represent the Vrawyth Kingdom in the Grand Exemplary Competition five years ago. It's Leander Smythe." Lila whispered to my ears. 

 I feel my hand tremble. I stare at Leander, who looks a few years older than the last time I saw him. I look at Prince Joachim too. 

 Now I know what's the odd thing I noticed this morning. I skipped time again!