Reborn As An Overpowered Villain

Melissa was eyeing the classroom as the students slowly made their way out during recess. She too wanted to go to the cafeteria and eat to her fill without holding back as she had entirely missed the morning breakfast in the dormitory due to sleeping until far too late in the morning.

How could I wake up so late? Melissa shook her head, unable to wrap her mind around the fact that she had slept well past the morning hour and had to rush to the academy before morning prayers had even begun.

She had hurriedly drawn a bath, and she could still feel the relaxation that had washed over her as she stood beneath the shower, the water cascading down her body and melting away the tension that had built over such a stressful yesterday. She had slept so deeply, so thoroughly, because she had been exhausted to her very bones, and she who often woke at the crack of dawn had remained asleep until nine in the morning, only stirring when the sun rays had come pouring across her face. She had immediately wanted to pull the curtains shut, but the curtains were already drawn over the window, and the sunlight had been so fierce and so insistent that it had come peering through the fabric regardless, flooding the room bright as midday.

Only when she had glanced at the clock had she leapt out of bed, nearly hurting her knees in her haste, and immediately rushed to take a shower, a beautiful shower that had made her want to remain beneath the warm stream for the rest of her life, because her body had felt so wonderfully loose and light that she could not put the sensation into words.

She had then rushed to put on the new set of uniform tailored precisely to her size, which she had received the previous night from Lucien's attendant, Connor.

Lucien had even sent along several other gifts, and Melissa had wanted to express her gratitude, so she had told Connor to relay her thanks to Lucien for his help and support.

Despite the fact that she told Connor to relay her thanks, she still held a small measure of resentment, because Lucien had made sure to taunt her during the duel in front of everyone, and she had cried in front of the whole crowd and been knocked off her feet in the most embarrassing fashion imaginable.

Ugh, just thinking of it made her want to flee the classroom and never return, especially knowing that every student present had witnessed the whole thing. Yet for some reason no one was looking at her strangely, nor were they mocking her.

If anything, they were treading carefully around her, all except for that yellow-haired boy who had dared to call her the property of Lucien, though he had not finished the full sentence before being cut off by none other than Lucien.

But, nonetheless, It was an outrageous insult, an affront she had not forgotten. How could she be the property of Lucien? She curled her fingers into a small fist at her side, and if Patrick were to appear before her, she would first kick him in the face, then drive her fist into his gut, and finish it with a clean uppercut to the jaw that would knock the shit out of him.

And as if the universe had heard her silent ranting and decided to oblige, the yellow-haired boy who had been seated behind her in the classroom suddenly materialized before her, or rather, she had simply not noticed him until he bent himself into a ninety-degree bow, making her scramble to her feet and take two or three hasty steps backward, flinching at the sight of him bowing so deeply before her.

"Sorry, Melina, I am deeply sorry for using such words," Patrick began, his voice heavy with remorse. "I did not mean it. It just slipped out of my mouth when Professor Lucien began staring at me and I thought he was furious, so I panicked and started talking complete nonsense."

Clap! Clap!

He began slapping both his cheeks, left and right, drawing the attention of the few remaining students toward the pair of them.

"Lift yourself up," Melissa said quickly, trying to put a stop to whatever in the world was unfolding before her. "And for your information, I am not Melina. My name is Melissa."

"Yes, sorry, Melissa," Patrick managed to say her name correctly, raising his head with eyes half-shut and his hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. "I am extremely sorry. If you wish to hit me, then please hit me, but please do not hold any resentment against me," he begged, his voice dropping to something pitiful and desperate. "I cannot bear the thought of Professor Lucien being angry with me. If you beat me and forgive me, I know he will forgive me too."

"Stop for a moment," Melissa called out sharply, and from the corner of her eye she caught two familiar faces, the Princess and Eleena, watching the whole scene with great interest. And, more than anything, she was startled by how loudly her own voice had come out. Lowering it, she added more quietly, "I forgive you. I am not angry with you anymore."

The resolve she had built up to beat the shit out of Patrick evaporated just as suddenly as it had formed. She had entirely lost her nerve the moment she saw how tense and fidgety the boy was, trembling not because of her but because Lucien was displeased with him.

Melissa was not naive, and she could read from his expression alone that he admired and idolized the Northern Blade, with something close to devotion.

She could not help but feel a flush of embarrassment rise to her own cheeks, because Patrick was not the only one who admired Lucien. She, too, had begun to admire him, though she still held fear of him. But, nonetheless, she had started admiring him and the feeling had only grown stronger after the previous night, when she had learned that Lucien had stayed by her side in the infirmary until she opened her eyes, and had even offered her an apology.

And so she, too, had begun to develop a kind of reverence for Lucien who was the same age as herself and despite being of her age he had already achieved so much.

Melissa’s initial belief that he was simply a bad person had been slowly crumbling away, all except for that dark, coal-like heart of his, which continued to confuse her even now.

"Thank you." Patrick's voice, bright and trembling with relief, pulled Melissa out of her thoughts. His entire expression had transformed completely, and he looked as though he had just been granted entry into heaven simply for having apologized to her. "I am Patrick Zendejas. It is a pleasure to meet you. Please feel free to ask for my help should you ever need it."

Melissa had already learned his name, but she nodded her head in acknowledgment all the same. The boy, overflowing with an almost childlike joy, shook her hand vigorously and then bolted out of the classroom at a speed that turned heads, either because he had somewhere urgent to be, or because Patrick was so overwhelmed with happiness that he had unconsciously channeled his mana into his legs and sprinted away without even realizing it.

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