*Clank*

A wooden spoon was dropped inside the empty wooden bowl.

The sound that made was oddly loud inside this quiet kitchen.

"*Phew*..."

I let out a sigh as I patted my stomach.

The meal that was once on the table was gone, it looked so delicious that I could not control myself.

It tasted delicious too.

T-This couldn't be helped!! It has been a long while since I've had something that could be called a meal.

I immediately came up with an excuse when I stared down at the empty plate.

After-all, I was hungry and there was such a delicious looking meal right in front of me.

Now that I have filled my stomach and I was able think straight again, the first question that came up in my mind was:

Why was there an unattended meal in the kitchen at this time?

The strange part was the unattended part... no, I'm not making an excuse for eating it.

The meal was obviously prepared for someone, and of course, the meal was not made me.

Leaving a prepared meal unattended was strange from my viewpoint.

Maybe the meal was not meant to be taken to anyone but was to be eaten in the kitchen...?

That was a reason I could think of.

However, no a soul came to the kitchen even till now.

I have no way to tell time, it was still dark outside.

But it does feel like I've been in the kitchen for a while.

Also, I'd be troubled if anyone was to come in and witness my deed.

That sounds really bad!

Will I get in trouble for this?

I may have came into the kitchen to find something to eat but I did not think I'd fill my stomach with someone else's meal.

This feels like I'd get into a bigger trouble than just eating the raw ingredients without any permission to do so.

I could be thrown out of the mansion for this, and then put to live in the shed at the backyard once again.

"Uuu~..."

Just thinking about this gives me a stomachache... or maybe I just ate too much.

T-This was not the time to be sitting here and doing nothing but thinking of the worst.

I immediately churn my brain juice to find a solution that could get me out of possible punishments.

The options narrowed down to two:

- Cook another set of meal.

- Run away from the scene.

I folded my arms and hung my head.

"Hm...." I went into deep thought.

The options may be the best but they still have flaws.

Running away from the problem doesn't solve the problem at all.

In the first place, there was nowhere to run to.

As long as I'm in this mansion being found out was just the matter of time.

Play dumb? I suppose that's something I could try as a child.

But the punishment would only get worse if that doesn't play out right.

Not a risk I'm willing to take.

As for cooking another set of meal... I will be using up the ingredients without permission for this but the punishment would be less severe.

Maybe... A big maaaaaybe.

I have experience with cooking in my previous life, with that knowledge I am confident in my cooking skill.

Maybe I'd even be spared from any punishment if my dish was impressive.

Alright! Let's do this!

With a goal in mind, I feel motivated.

I rolled up my sleeves and walked to the other side of the kitchen.

The cooking area was brightened up by the candle in my hand.

To my surprise, from the stove to the sink, the moment I set my eyes on them they gave me a sense of familiarity.

They were strikingly similar to ones I've used in my previously life.

The materials that were used to make them must have been different from the ones I know and that explains the feeling of oddity when I shone light over them.

However, even if they weren't in the exact same shape as the ones I was familiar with, I could immediately tell each of their function just from looking at them.

I put my hand on the tap above the sink and turned the knob, water came out of the tube.

The water fell on the smooth surface of the metallic sink and it flowed down the drain.

A thought came to me when I was watching the exiting water, I dropped to my knees and open the wooden cabinet directly below the sink.

There was a pipe connected to below the house.

It seemed the exiting of the water was also taken care off.

All seemed rational and normal at first glance but...

This is Isekai, right?

No matter how I looked at the setup of the kitchen, these things looked way too modern for a world with medieval setting.

Would I even find a functional bathroom in the bedroom I woke up in?

The deeper I thought about this the more question arises.

Could there a complete drainage system in this mansion?

If so where does it lead to?

A water purifying system at the end of all this?

In the first place, where does the water from the tap come from?

Questions with no answers to overloaded my brain.

The current state of my mind was in a mess, a big mess.

I was confused.

Because of my lack of common knowledge of this fantasy world, the only answers I could come up with were knowledge I have gained from my previous life.

However, the answers may sound reasonable but somehow they don't seem convincing if applied to this world.

'Yes... some things just doesn't seem right... isn't it? What other possibilities are there?'

Then, as if against my own will, my thoughts continued to run through my mind... as if my soul was being dug out...

I feel... strange...

Something seemed strange...

I don't think I'm the type of person who'd forced answers out of questions that doesn't really matter.

The bad experience I've gone through in my reincarnated life has definitely changed the state of my mind.

Though, I don't believe it would change me to this extent.

It's at a level beyond OCD.

Cold...

I feel... something was digging deep into my mind...

That something... was piercing through my soul...

I'm scared...

If this goes on... If this goes on...!!

I don't know what will happen to me if this goes on any further!!

Then, as if answering for my call for help, a soft blue light appeared before my eyes.

It broke me out of my uncontrollable mind.

This blue light...

This familiar soft blue light was the same one that led me to the kitchen.

It flew left and right, as if trying to get my attention.

It's warm...

I could feel the warmth coming from the soft blue light.

The feeling that clears my uneasiness.

I reached out to it.

But before my hand was able to touch the light, the blue light flew out of the kitchen.

Just like how it led me to the kitchen, the blue light left a faint blue trail.

"Ah, wait...!!"

I chased after it.

My intuition told me so that I should chase after it.

Wait...

Just as I rushed after the soft blue light, a thought suddenly came to my mind.

What was I was trying to do just now?

Wasn't there a reason for me to approach the sink?

That reason has slipped out of my mind when I was in a state of confusion.

I wonder what it could be...

However, before I was able to recall it, I have already taken a step out of the kitchen.

=======================================

[In today's program, we have invited a special guest to our studio...]

The sound of TV has snapped me back to reality.

"Haa... Haa..." I took some deep breath.

It seemed like I was daydreaming until a moment ago.

I was deep in that daydream, so deep that it seemed like I have forgotten to breathe.

Somehow, I felt like I have seen a long dream.

Having woken up from the daydream, a familiar room entered my view.

A room surrounded by concrete walls painted in white with a french window leading out to the balcony.

It was a room that could be used as a bedroom, dining room and a living room, altogether; it has a bed and TV occupying one side of the wall, a low table placed at some distance in front of the TV, and a cabinet at a empty corner.

The room may be cramped but it was the room I've been living in for a long while.

That's right, this room was my room.

A room rented to me at a cheap price in this city.

I was looking at the room from the entrance.

Somehow, I felt a strong feeling of nostalgia.

For the same reason, I feel I was being more attentive to the setup of the room.

The lights on the ceiling that has brightened the room, the position of my furnitures, and even the manga and novels on the shelf.

H-Huh? What the...?

Tears were being formed at the corner of my eyes.

Why does it feel as if I have been away for a long time?

If I remembered correctly, I was still in the morning till I have to leave for work.

It hasn't even been a day since I left the room, and I even came back straight after work.

Just like any other evening on a workday, this was the time I would chill in my room until I get to bed.

Somehow, I do feel out of place...　

Oh, right, why am I just standing here at the entrance feeling all nostalgic.

It was awkward to be standing and daydreaming in the first place.

What was I even doing before this?

...

... ...

Ah, now that reminded me.

There was something I wanted to do in the kitchen.

I turned my head and looked over my shoulder.

Behind me was a small kitchen, dimly lit by the light from the living room.

The light in the kitchen itself was turned off.

Does this mean I was done already, the thing that I wanted to do?

My eyes moved to the sink.

Bowls and plates I used for dinner were stacked inside a pot filled with water.

*Bop*

A water-droplet fell into the water in the pot.

It was a clear sound of satisfaction, the sound I normally hear after I have washed the dishes.

If I had dinner already and the dishes were already cleaned up then there shouldn't be anything I needed to.

"Ah!"

I was suddenly reminded of the important thing I needed to do because of the feeling that something was amiss.

It was the thing I looked forward to the most after a long day of work.

I took many little steps to the refrigerator, opened its door and took out a can of beer.

*psssst*

The sound of cracking open a cold one was satisfying to hear and, at the same time, fueled my excitement to the next level.

I immediately pushed my lips against the opening of the can.

The cold temperature spread through my body as gassy liquid flowed down my throat, the fizzes gave me a slight burning aftertaste.

"Ahhh... this is heaven." I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

My body loosen up after having tasted the flavor of relaxation.

The stress I've accumulated over a long time were wiped away in an instant.

Hm......? Why does it feel as if I have experienced a stressful 8 years?

Strange.

I've only started working for just over a month, there was no reason for me to feel that way.

University? I believe I had a blast during the time when I was still a student.

Might just be me imagining things.

I dismissed the strange feeling and took another sip of beer.

There was only half of the can left by now so I took another can out of the refrigerator.

I pushed the door of the refrigerator with my foot and walked back to the living room.

II sat down on a purple cushion by the low table.

[AHAHAHAHA!!]

The people inside the TV were laughing over the topic stated at the side of the screen.

However, it was not something I was interested in so I was not paying much attention to it.

Rather, the joke seemed to be scripted so it was quite cringy to watch.

I peeled my eyes off the TV and looked for its controller on the table.

Then, my eyes caught sight of a rectangular figure on the table.

It was not the controller but something even more important than my urge to change the cringy TV program.

A smartphone.

The main source of entertainment in modern day society.

Be it to watch videos, listen to music, read novel and manga, or even play games... smartphones can handle all of them.

Huh? What about calling and contacting people?

Forget about it!

Who even have friends these days!

I grabbed my phone.

My fingers moved on its own and after a set of swift movements my phone was unlocked.

I was surprised at first on how I was able to unlock my phone without thinking.

I thought I had forgotten my password, glad I didn't... ...Wait, what was my password again?

Before I was able to recall my password, the display of the phone drawn my attention.

The phone displayed the interface of a game.

An otome-game that I'm heavily invested into, both time and wealth.

'Romantical Memorial Plus', the name of an otome game I played on my phone.　

The game was well received for its story and gameplay; not only was the story well written, the developers has added many elements into its gameplay so the game does not feel dull.

Of course it's not an otome game without handsome and beautiful men as the capture targets, the developers have put a large amount of effort into their characterization. Their effort was rewarded, every capture target were well liked by their fans.

Unfortunately, this game does have its own share of cons.

Since the focus were on the story of the main character and capture targets, the side characters weren't given much attention.

Thus making the side characters to only exist as plot device.

Just like the black hair girl on the screen.

Cecilia Blackthorn, a villainess of the game.

The girl whose main traits were her black hair and black dress.

While she may have a unique design as a side character but there was not much story behind her.

She's one of the side characters who gets removed from the storyline at early stages of the game as her wrongdoings were exposed.

Cecilia was not a likeable character in any case so I don't have much feelings for her.

It turns out her wrongdoings were direct orders from a duke's daughter.

Not that it would change my views about her.

However, for some reason, I feel some sort of sympathy towards Cecilia when I looked at her on the screen.

Even though she was wearing the usual irksome expression that I hated but somehow I could see sadness behind this false front of hers.

I wonder why?

Thinking that, I downed the last drop of beer from the can.

I crashed the can, tossed it across the room and into the bin it goes.

"Ah, crap, I forgot to separate it."

I could imagine being scolded for mixing up recyclables with trash.

Well, whatever, I will do something about it afterwards.

*psssst*

I cracked open another cold one and drank its content.

Then, when I looked back at the screen I almost spill out the beer.

The words 'Game Over' were on the screen.

How could this be possble?

This was the part of the story where the main character confronts Cecilia and fought her.

Cecilia's fight should be one of the easiest in the entire game.

It was said Cecilia was a lost cause when it comes to magic but her physical talent makes up for it.

However, she's only at best stronger than an average person.

It's hard to believe she'd give me a hard time especially when I have the characters raised over a long period of time playing this game.

The game has the feature to not erase players' progress for the characters they raised.

I decided to retry the battle once more and this time I will manually control the character inputs.

...

In a short while, I lost...

I did not just lose once or twice but nine times.

This has made me furious.

Just what was up with this Cecilia?!

What did they mean by Cecilia was a lost cause when it comes to magic?

She was totally using a whole lot of them this battle!

Powerful ones as well!

I tried forcing her into close-quarter combat by moving my character close to her.

That move totally backfired.

This battle has taught me that Cecilia was not only stronger than an average person in phyiscal talent, she was a literal God in close-quarters.

What is this? Did Cecilia have some sort of awakening that I missed?!

I sighed as I navigated my way back to the game's home page.

It was only then I noticed there was an on-going time-limited event being advertised on the home screen.

The main focus of the event was about Cecilia and surprisely she was the last boss of the event battle.

And I was fighting the last boss version of her without realizing.

The reason why I kept losing in the battle with her was now clear.

However, I don't remember when I started playing this event.

I was rather surprised by the developers for giving the spotlight to a side character.

Out of curiosity I read the event details, a catchphrase caught my attention.

'Truth behind the mystery yet to unfold?'

From the phrase, I could immediately understand that there was something more to this girl.

Though as an otome game, getting to know more about female side characters does not make sense to me.

Unless it was a side character who has large popularity among the players.

However, Cecilia was not a popular character and it wouldn't be an attractive event if it was only about her.

I suppose the real reason for the event was expand on the lore of Blackthorn family.

I operated my game to display the gacha page.

Yes, this was a gacha game.

On the gacha page, there was a man in ghillie suit being featured.

That person was Zack Blackthorn, the eldest son of Blackthorn's family and Cecilia's older brother.

It was weird to see him in the gacha page as he was a secret boss in one of the hardest dungeon of the game.

It feels like a cheat code to being able to get the secret boss to join my party.

But I don't expect him to have the same power level as his secret boss counterpart.

Before facing him as a secret boss, Zack was a side character who seemed to get along with anyone except with Cecilia.

He may not be heavily involved in any storyline but his occasional funny remarks and advices foreshadowing future incidents did leave deep impressions to the players.

I believe it was when he was revealed to be a secret boss that left heavy impression to the players.

His strength has scarred many players in the heart... mine too.

Surprisely, the sudden difficulty curve did not make many players quit the game but rather they became fired up to beat Zack.

I'm rather gratified that there were this many hardcore players playing this game.

Suppose that's also the reason why the event Cecilia was this strong too.

Definitely made for these hardcore players.

It made me thought that the Blackthorn family was just a lair of monsters if even that Cecilia could be nearly as strong as secret boss Zack.

Of course there was an alternative option for players who have difficulty in dealing with the event Cecilia.

That method was to pull for Zack from the current gacha banner because, as advertised, he has event-only bonus against Cecilia.

This method of selling a character doesn't sit well with me.

However, one of the main selling point of Zack as the featured character was that he will unlock an additional story for the current event story.

The extra bit of story would be needed if the player wanted to experience a complete story behind the mystery emphasized by the event.

Seriously, this is absolutely disgusting.

I cursed in my mind.

It's understandable this method of marketing a character was to let players feel it was worth their money in getting the character.

And as a free-to-play game, the developers needed some way to appeal to the players to earn their income.

However, I'm not pleased that the game locks the complete experience of the game behind a paywall.

That's right, I'm angry. I was disgusted.

Though, those feeling weren't directed at the marking strategy.

My negative feeling was directed at my finger that was true to its instinct.

*******

*Ding Dong Ding Dong*

"Thank you for your patron!"

The sound of the convenient store entrance bell, along with the clerk's voice, rang behind me as I exited the store.

I crushed the receipt in my hand and a tear drop flowed down my cheek.

I looked upwards as if I could see my money flying towards the clear evening sky.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

Farewell, my good friends...

I bid farewell to the money spent for purchasing premium currency of Romantical Memorial Plus.

That's right, the money was used for whaling.

Well, it was not my first time whaling for this game but the guilt for occassionally whaling still feel as fresh as the first time I've done so.

Definitely does not mean I love whaling!

I-It can't be helped that I have to whale, I failed to get the main prize from the event gacha.

Zack did not come home even after I spent all the free premium currency I saved up.

Though, for some odd reason, I did get many high rarity Fredericks.

Ugh, that prince-type capture target...

While I do appreciate getting high rarity characters but not when I'm pulling for a time-limited character.

I was at the point of hoping not to see anymore Frederick.

Anyway, my account was loaded and I have enough pulls to reach the hard pity.

The resources were prepared, the time was right; it's time to pull!

"Hm?"

Just as I was about to push the '10 pulls' button, I noticed a brat chasing after a ball at the sidewalk..

...Seriously.

This wasn't the time for a brat to be playing outside on a busy street.

I looked around, wondering where his parents were.

There were a lot of people on the street tonight, it was difficult to find anyone who'd fit the description of the brat's parent.

I don't even know who they were in the first place.

Well, tonight was the start of the weekend, it was not strange to see this many people during this time.

I will just assume the brat's parents were keeping a close eye on him.

Having that out of my mind, I thought I should be on my way home.

The street was busy today, there was no need to worry about anything happening to the brat.

What's the worst thing that could happen?

It was this moment that I knew, I hated myself for raising this flag.

"Ah!" The brat let out a cry when his ball bounced off from a man's foot.

The ball changed its direction and bounced on to the pedestrian crossing on the road.

As for the brat... he chased after it.

"Wait, that stupi--!!" I cursed and ran after him.

The light was red for the pedestrian crossing and there was a truck driven towards the brat at high speed.

I lunged and embraced the brat who froze on the spot.

On my knees, I looked straight into the blinding headlights.

Oh my, were they always this huge?

This definitely was the first time I thought the truck was gigantic, dangerously.

Uh oh, isn't this quite bad? I might actually die from this!

My childhood memories flashed before me.

I even saw my deceased grandfather waving his hand on the other side of a river.

I see... so my time was up as well...

...

...wait, I haven't made my pulls in the banner yet...

...I can't die like this...

LIKE HELL I'D LET THAT HAPPEN!!

I tighten my grip on the brat and jumped to the side with every bit of energy within me.

I landed on the sidewalk with my shoulder, not caring about breaking my fall.

Pain was not registered when I feel the strong flow of adrenaline rush.

My mind was blank even after the truck went by us..

A loud braking noise rang from behind me but the one sound that broke me out of my daze was a crying voice from my embrace.

Before I could even put my thought on it, my hands loosen the grip on the brat and allowed him to slip out of my embrace.

The brat stood up on his own, crying, and walked towards the crowd without any aim.

Only now did I noticed there was a large crowd around us.

A woman pushed her way out of the crowd.

"----!!!"

The woman cried out the brat's name.

She embraced the brat, crying and scolding him.

Ah, so there's the mother.

Then I heard another voice, roaring from behind the crowd.

The voice got louder as the owner of the voice got closer.

A muscular man pushed the crowd out of his way and glared at me.

"Hey, what the fxck was that just now! You almost got yourself killed!" The man shouted angrily. "Keep your eyes on your child! Don't let him run onto the road again!"

From his words I could tell that the man was the trunk driver and was genuinely concerned.

However, I think he's got a misunderstanding to clear here.

I turned my head, directing his eyes to the crying mother and her son.

The man froze on the spot.

There was an awkward silence between us, except for the crying noise and the chattering among the gathered crowd.

I thought I should break the ice.

I stood up from the ground, dusted my shoulder and my jean, and then walked up to the man.

It was at the same time the mother came to us dragging her child along, seemingly she came to say her thanks for saving her child.

The brat was still crying though.

The man seemed to grasp the situation and sent me an apologetic gaze.

As expected, he's a good guy.

Then, before anyone was able to say anything, a loud voice came from behind the crowd.

"Help! A robber! Someone stop him!" A distant desperate voice.

At that time, the crowd split into two, opening up a pathway.

The sight was just like the description of how that certain someone splitting the ocean.

At the end of the cleared path, I saw a figure of a tall man running towards us.

There was a knife and a bright coloured handbag in each of his hand.

That must be the robber!

And that's a big knife he's got there! That's totally dangerous!

I immediately understood why the crowd would rather step out of his way.

Having learned some martial arts, I was taught about the dangers of facing lethal weapons unarmed.

The intention of me practising martial art was to learn self-defense.

The best self-defense in this situation was to stay away from the danger itself.

I was about to step aside like everyone else, however, the truck driver had something else in his mind.

"Huh?! Why do troublesome things just come one after another?!" The truck driver said as he rolled up his sleeves. "I guess this isn't my day."

The truck driver walked towards the direction of the robber.

Even though his words may not sound like it but his intention to apprehand the robber was apparent.

The moment the truck driver confronted the robber, they immediately got into a scuffle.

That idiot!

I ran towards the two men.

The truck driver had an advantage with his build and managed to get his arm around the robber's neck to hold him in position.

However, the robber's struggle has loosen the grip the truck driver has on his hand.

That was the hand with the knife.

I quickly grabbed on the robber's hand to make sure he wouldn't swing the knife around.

"?!"

"?!?!"

My action has the robber surprised.

But I was even more surprised by the truck driver's next move.

It was all too late before the truck driver noticed me.

The moment the robber was surprised, his balance was toppled by the trucker driver; the truck driver forced his weight onto the robber.

I was shocked at the sudden turn of event, I wasn't able to react in time and could only watch the two men fell towards me.

We all fell on to the ground.

"...!!!"

I couldn't make a sound when we landed with me at the bottom, only the air in my lung was forced out.

The truck driver noticed what he has done and quickly wrestled his way off me.

The robber in his choke hold also went along with him.

I watched them struggled on the ground until the robber ran out of energy and finally gave up struggling.

Police came to the scene and quickly handcuffed the robber.

Finally, the truck driver was able to get back onto his feet.

It was a Happy Ending for all of us.

Hmm?

Why was one of the police looking at me in shock?

Ambulance? He's calling for ambulance on his radio.

Why did the truck driver's face turned blue?

He has the same surprised face just like the police.

Oh, right, why was I watching the whole scene unfold from the ground?

Hm, I can't move my body...

Ah, I felt something by my chest area.

I rolled my eyes down and saw the handle of a knife sticking out of my chest, the area where my heart was.

Yes, I could see the the handle in full view thanks to my non-existent chest!

Of course I'm not happy about that nor was I happy about this situation either!

I could see the crowd gathering around me, among them was the mother covering the brat's eyes.

The truck driver was so in shock that he dropped to his knee.

A police came up to me and began shouting something in my face.

But sorry, I couldn't hear anything.

The noises in this crowded area felt so distant, it becomes quieter as time goes by.

My vision also became blurry... until it finally blacked out.

I see... so I died...

There was one last thing in my mind just before my conscious melted into this darkness.

I haven't made my pulls yet.

=======================================

"Ouch!"

Pain woken me up from my daydream, my hand moved involuntary to rub where it hurts.

A stone dropped and dug itself into the snow below me.

"Hahaha! Serves you right!" A boy was laughing some distance away from me.

Behind the boy was a few more brats his age.

The boy looked to be about 7 or 8 years old.

I see, brats their age wouldn't know the dangers in throwing stones at people.

I looked at my palm, there was blood.

There was no doubt, it came from my head where the stone hit.

I sighed.

What was the term used for this type of situation?

Ah, I remembered, it was called bullying.

It was somewhat disheartening to be bullied by brats his age.

I may be a little girl now but inside this small body was a full grown adult.

That's right, I was reincarnated to this game-like fantasy world after I died in the previous world.

The grass was green and the sky was blue, unlike the previous modern world, the nature here extend endlessly.

It has been 8 years since I've been reincarnated to this world, it has been so long that I can't recall every detail of my death.

However, I did spaced out for a moment... felt like I was seeing my past life...

Then I was abruptly broken out of my daydream when the stone hit my head, thanks to it, I've forgetten what I was seeing in my daydream.

I glared at the brats.

Unfortunately, a glare from a little girl was not intimidating.

"Huh? You got something to say?" The boy at the front picked up another stone. "You want another one of this? HUH?!"

The brats behind the boy cheered him on.

"Go on Jake! Chase her away!"

"We don't want her near us!"

"Get away! Along with that disgusting black hair!"

Having been cheered on by his lackeys, the boy's expression became even more disgusting for me to bear.

"You hear that? No one wants you here." The boy said. "If you don't want your cute pet to get hurt, you better of scram!"

He even made a 'shoo shoo' gesture at me.

My annoyance has reached another level.

Getting upset over childish remarks wasn't adult-like but my adult pride wouldn't let them off the hook this easily.

There has to be something I could do.

I looked at the creature in my arms.

It was a chicken-like creature with black feathers.

Chickens do exist in this world, they look exactly like the chickens in my previous world, but this creature was not a chicken.

Another species of the chicken family?

The creature in my arms was cowering in fear.

I saved this helpless creature from the brats, they were chasing and throwing stones at it.

I came in and hid the creature in my arms, protecting it from the brats.

This made them think the creature was my pet and it also made me their target of their shenanigans.

They even threatened to hurt the creature even more if I don't bid to their demand to leave.

Well, I guess there's a misunderstanding to clear up.

I grabbed the creature by it's long neck and held it out towards the brats.

The brats were taken aback by my sudden action, even the creature couldn't react to the turn of event.

Just before the brats had the time to think about my actions, I put my other hand on the creature's neck and...

*SNAP*

I broke the creature's neck.

The process was clean and the creature wasn't even able to let out a sound.

Possibly, the creature didn't even have the time to perceive its death.

I let go of one hand to let the neck droop to the side.

Then, with the other hand, I gave the creature a little shake and its limbs sways like a lifeless ragdoll.

I move my sight away from the dead creature and locked my eyes at the brats.

"..."

I said nothing and stared at them.

The brats was dumbfounded.

Then I thought I should give the creature another wiggle to get their attention.

"S-Stop, you idiot!!" The boy called out. "What do you think you are doing?!"

"Me?" I was surprised.

I definitely was not expecting to be asked this question.

I looked at the dead creature again, its limbs swayed freely.

I looked back at the brat.

"Preparing food." I said.

"W-What?!" The boy exclaimed out of surprise. "Pr-Preparing food?!"

Following after him, the other brats have similar frightened expression on them.

"Hey, Jake this girl is bad news."

"She's planning to eat her own pet."

"Jake, you sure she won't eat us next?"

"No way! That's scary!"

"But she didn't even bat an eye when she snapped her pet's neck."

"Hey, my mom did tell me to watch out for the girl with black hair... she didn't mean..."

"... ..."

A sudden silence among the brats.

There seemed to be sweat coming down the boy's cheek as well.

No way, are they seriously scared of something like this?

An idea popped up in my mind, and I immediately put it to action.

I picked up the little head of the creature and held it next to my face.

Then I turned the little head to face the brats.

The face of the brats turned blue.

"Bah-gawk!" I tried imitating the creature's cry as I made a little nod with its head.

Also, I made sure to give the brats my best smile.

One filled with menace.

"""...!!!"""

The brats did a 180 and ran as fast as they could.

At that speed, I'm sure they would even get praises from the olympic runners.

"Hey, w-wait for me!!" The boy fell when he tried to run.

Unfortunately, his cry was not heard and he was left behind.

All alone.

Poor kid, he seemed so scared that his legs has gone soft.

He couldn't even stand up.

The way he keeps looking back at me while crawling forward to get away from me... I just can't...

No, I'm not laughing.

The corners of my mouth just raised on its own.

I'm not the type of adult who would laugh at a helpless kid.

In fact, I would show this helpless cocky brat the mercy of an adult.

"No, stay away! %a#$L0...!!"

The brat's cry became incomprehensible the closer I walked to him.

I was slow with my pace so it does not scare the boy, but he seemed to be crawling faster than before.

Still, no matter how fast he goes, I caught up with him in no time.

The cocky brat froze on the spot.

"W-What do you want to do with me?!" He shouted, seemingly putting up a brave front.

Yes, even though his voice was firm but his eyes that were swimming between my face and the creature in my hand had sold him out.

I kneeled beside him.

"What do I want?" I repeated his question as I tilted my head. "I just want to clear up a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?"

"That's right." I held the creature up. "This thing is not my pet. I'm not the type of person who'd eat their own pet."

"Huh, it's not your pet? ...Then why...?"

"I can't have you lot ruining such a great source of protein."

My words has left him speechless.

He probably thought it was an absurd reason to interrupt their little fun with the creature.

But that's was not important.

The most important part was what I was going to do next, it was the reason why I got close to him in the first place.

"I'm not the type of person who'd take away things from brats like you." I put both my hands on the neck of the creature. "So I'm kind enough to share with you."

I broke off the little head, separating it from the creature's body.

Blood flowed on to the ground from the opening of the neck, after-all, letting out blood was an important process of preparing a protein.

The cocky brat froze as he watched a puddle of blood being formed in front of him.

And then...

"Here you go." I put the little head on his head.

"...HII?!" He let out a short screech.

His body also made a twitch... how cute.

"There's one bit of this for the both of us." I smiled. "No hard feelings then."

It was yet another one of the best smiles I could put on.

One with kindess that doesn't hide any of the anger I've pent up.

I pressed forward and whispered next to his ear.

"Now scram."

"AAAAHHHHH!!!!" The cocky brat screamed.

He shot up and ran away as if his life depends on it.

In no time he was nowhere in my sight.

"Phew..." I sighed out of relief.

It was always tiring to deal with brats like them.

But it does feel good to let these cocky brats know their place, not to mention I got a trophy too.

I looked at the creature in my hand.

The blood-letting was complete, just some more preparation needed before I could start cooking.

I looked at the position of the sun.

The time was just right for me to go back and start preparing.

Before I took my leave, I thought it'd be a good idea to cover up the blood puddle with sand.

I looked down and noticed that the boy has left the little head on the ground.

*******

It has been a few days after that incident.

Words of me scaring the local kids have gotten around the terrority.

While it may have been my intention to scare those brats but that story was exaggerated by the villagers as words were passed among them.

They added this story on top of my infamous reputations that I've collected over the years, even using them as scary stories to put children to bed.

Of course, all of this started because of the superstition deeply embedded within the roots of this territory.

The superstition of thinking black hair and black eyes would bring misfortune to the area.

Things just get blamed on to me.

Like harvest not being good this season, dangerous monsters appearing on the outskirt of nearby villages and kids not being able to sleep at night.

...Well, the last bit may be my fault.

I do have to chase away some cocky brats from time to time when they pick on me.

I got to make sure they don't come back and harass me again.

It wasn't much that I did.

Some times I'd give them a kind warning, other times I'd let my fists do the talking and, rarely, I push them into the river.

Dangerous? Yes, it was dangerous for me to be fighting the brats without magic.

Magic being common in this world, the brats do know some form of magic.

But their immaturity does not help them, their pride easily crumbled down against my fists.

Don't underestimate me who'd go out in the wild competing with the local hunters for preys.

And just like that, people in the villages would send unpleasant stares at me whenever they see me wondering around the area.

Of course, they weren't the only ones like that.

The people in the mansion also gave me the same look whenever they see me.

Yes, those people whom I should refer to as 'my family', the nobles governing the territory.

I could still recall the expressions my 'parents' had on their face when I was born into this world.

Fear, sorrow and rage; those were their feelings the moment they saw my black eyes and black hair.

The emotions mixed up turning what should have been a happy event into one for a funeral.

There was no way I'd acknowledge such people as my parents, even if it was biological fact.

And just like me, they never treated me as if I was their daughter.

I was put to live in the shed at the back of the mansion.

None of the family members would care about my well being there.

Food does get sent to me however, ensuring I don't die out of starvation.

Though, my food does get taken away from me when I cause any trouble.

Like the incident a few days ago, the one where I scare the brats away.

I was also prohibited from going outside the shed for a few day as my punishment.

So now, I just lay on the creaking bed.

There was nothing to do so I opened up my Status Window.

Even though I may have read whatever was on it countless time but it was a great pass time.

Being able to open the Status Window was the closest thing to magic I could do.

It reminded me of how lucky I was to be reincarnated into a fantasy world like those isekai stories from the novels and manga I love to read.

"Cecilia..."

The name displayed on the Status Window, the proof of me living in this world.

However, I was not blessed.

There was no meeting with a Goddess nor was I reincarnated with a cheat skill.

The Status Window shows that I don't have any magic I ccould use.

Nothing saddens me more than the fact that I couldn't use any magic.

While it may excite me to see the stats increase for my daily activities but I really wanted to use magic.

Even a small fire magic only big enough to light a candle would make me happy.

It would also be so much help to get past the winter too.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I still cannot use any form of magic.

I've tried varies methods I could possibly think of, I even borrowed a book about learning magic from the mansion.

Kids my age could use magic with little effort, though they do get tired easily which I can guess they ran out of MP.

Strange that my Status Window stated I have a bar of MP yet I wasn't able to use it.

The list of magic skill was always empty no matter what I did.

Feeling of failure slowly crept up on me over the years.

The excitement I once had crumbled, and I've been feeling less and less motivated.

Negativity from the surroundings does not help either, it just makes me grow tired.

Affected by them, even I started to complain about things.

Complaining about things that don't go well, about all the biased opinions and also the things I had to go through.

I put my blames on my own black hair and eyes, even though those were something I've grown used to seeing back in my previous life.

Strange that I'd have this thought, perhaps my viewpoints and thoughts were also being changed.

*Guuuuuu~~*

My stomach growled. I was hungry.

It's something that happens frequently.

The food provided were often not enough and I had to go hunt for my own food.

Having my food taken away on top of being grounded was just like rubbing salt on top of my wound.

I had developed the skills to prepare food so that could be preserved for a while just in case I get into difficult situations like this.

But it just happened to be one of those days where I ran out of the preserved food.

I sighed at my misfortune.

'Disappointed?'

A question suddenly popped up in my head.

Disappointed, huh... Rather than a question needing an answer, it was a rhetorical question.

Truth is, I am disappointed.

This was not the isekai experience I expected.

Life with fantasy and adventure was nowhere to be seen.

There were only people I dislike, things I dislike and experiences I dislike.

Even myself... I dislike...

'Then what should be done about it?'

Ahahaha, what's this?

Why was my mind throwing out these questions?

Has the hunger gotten to me that I started hallucinating?

My mind was going wild on its own.

'How about making them regret their actions?'

Them? Ah, I see.

My 'family' and the villagers, huh...

Ahahaha, I must be going crazy to be asking and answering my own questions.

But for some reason, I feel really good.

The fire of excitement within me that was once extinguished has began burning again.

'Let them regret the moment before their last breath, let the place perish from the map.'

The idea sounds absurd, I knew I don't have the power to do something like that.

But just like the stress I've accumulated has been released at once, I really wanted to ride on to this idea.

That's right, I wasn't against killing them and burning the villages.

I was totally in on this idea.

'Hahaha, I love the enthusiasm.'

Hm, strange, even though I'm talking to myself in my mind.

Why does it feel as if I was talking to a different person?

'If you want the power to do that...'

But the words were alluring, words I wanted to hear.

Ah... I must have lost my mind to be convinced by mere words.

'...take my hand.'

A hand was extended to me.

It was covered in black mist but I could at least make out that it was a hand.

A hand that manifested from my imagination.

I see, I've already gone mad... I could imagine my eyes had lost their colours by now.

There's no turning back once I take that hand, I knew that.

But since I'm already going crazy, then let me dive deeper into this madness.

I extended my hand.

Suddenly.

A flash of blue light run past my eyes.

"Ah, wait...!"

Before I knew it, I had retracted my hands and my legs followed after the light.

I left the misty hand all behind my back and chased after the faint blue light.

Ah... this was it...

The light may be faint.

But that was the light I was looking for in this madness.

One that would lead me out of this darkness.

The light sped up, and I picked up my pace.

However I was not able to catch up to it.

The light was gaining distance.

No matter how fast I go, even extending my hand, I was not able to reach it.

The light became dimmer the further it went.

The dimming light made my heart race faster.

Something was burning within my heart, a flame that wasn't fueled by the madness.

The one with warmth and hope.

My intuition tells me the light would show me the way to obtain those.

I have to catch it no matter what!

If this new life has only given me darkness then I shall seize this light with my own hand.

I extended my hand.

It reached.

The light expanded and shone brightly.

The blinding light struck me and I was forced to close my eyes.

I felt my feet has lost their footing and I was left floating.

My conscious was melted by the warmth of the light.

My senses became numbed by the kindness I felt from within.

Slowly, my conscious faded.

.

.

.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Hm...

Somehow, I have this feeling that I've been waking up like this multiple times.

Could it be my imagination?

My mind felt hazy, it felt like I had a long dream.

Hm... I felt like I recently had a similar thought too.

I sighed.

I placed my palm over my face as I shook my head.

Not that it'd do anything but it could help me clear my heavy head.

I look back at the place I was in.

A large room with a white screen at the front that extends to the edge of the wall and the ceiling.

The dim lighting was enough to lit up the surrounding walls, the soft-looking materials on the walls gave off a strong feeling of sound seclusion.

Chairs were lined up in rows, neatly grouped up with space to allow people to walk through.

The chair I sat on was soft and comfortable, the texture felt dry to the skin.

The silence reminded me of the place I was in.

This large room was a movie theater and I was sitting on the frontmost chair.

The screen was empty, so was the room.

Was the movie already finished? That was my immediate question.

Strange that I was the only one left.

Even though I have fell asleep, there should at least be cleaning staffs who would wake me up.

I can't believe they'd clean the place with me sleeping in one of the chairs, and there was no way they'd overlook me.

I stood up.

I looked back.

The large room with elevated chairs at each increasing row gave me a weird feeling.

Especially the silence and emptiness, I don't feel like it was the theater I've grown used to.

I felt as if I was in a different space.

"That is correct, princess."

A clear voice filled the theater.

Sounds of clapping followed.

A woman in white dress walked down the stairs at the middle of the theater.

Huh? Am I seeing this right?

She just appeared out of thin air!

The woman's dress was as fancy as a wedding dress.

And she was clapping soundly even with those white gloves.

For someone as eye-catching as her, and someone who doesn't seemed to be hiding her presence, there was no way I'd overlook her when I scanned the theater.

Something was not right, even my intuition was sounding its alert.

”Oh, little princess.” The woman in white said. "There's no need to be afraid of me."

She slowly took a step down the stairs, in response, I took a step backwards.

My heart skipped a beat each time her high heel made a sound for each step she took.

The floor of the theater was covered in material that would reduce the volume of footsteps.

Yet I am hearing clear sounds of her footsteps as if she was walking on concrete.

Strange.

Everything about her was strange.

And scary.

The woman let out a loud disappointed sigh.

"Aa~ah... You being scared of me hurts my feeling so much." The woman said. "We've even lived together for years."

Lived together?

What is she talking about?

Wait...!

She knew I'm scared of her, how?

Have I expressed my fear too much or was it something else?

Mind-reading?

Is that even possi-

"It's possible." The woman answered. "The fact that I was able to answer your doubt is more than enough to prove it, right?"

The woman smiled, placing her index finger over her plump lips.

I wasn't able to see her eyes past the white veil over her head but I could imagine a devious look from her playful tone.

"How about this?" The woman said.

'Does this ring a bell?'

A voice suddenly rang in my head.

The voice I've heard multiple times whenever I was in self-deprecation.

The voice I thought to be the result of me losing my sanity growing up in this... reincarnated life...

Wait! Reincarnated... Life...?!

I immediately looked at my own body.

A long nightgown over a child-like body... this was my body.

"I see, so you are mixing up your memory with reality." The woman giggled. "No need to worry about it, this usually happens."

But, she added.

"If you need help remembering then I don't mind helping you." She smiled. "We go way back, don't we?"

I felt a sharp stare coming from behind her white veil.

There was even a moment I thought I saw a red flash for a moment.

After a small giggle, she said in a clear voice.

"Cecilia Blackthorn."

The two words made a huge impact to my head.

It was my name in this world.

The mixed up memory were pieced up in order at an alarming speed.

My memory of my past life, the turning point of how I was reincarnated into this world and finally finding out that I am a character of an otome game.

I am Cecilia Blackthorn, a villainess of this game.

”Yes, you are Cecilia Blackthorn. I wholeheartedly welcome your presence, little princess.”

The woman placed a hand over her chest and a hand lifting the side of her dress.

She bowed with elegance.

Her outfit and action was out of place in this dim theater.

However, the whiteness from her dress seemed to be glowing on its own, as if she was given the spotlight on a stage.

The scene in front of me was like a piece of artwork.

Breathtaking.

Then, without any warning....

"Or should I say, guest from another world?"

The atmosphere in the theater became cold.

I could feel the gaze from the woman, one where a predator has found its prey.

My inner alarm has reached its peak.

My body immediately took action, before my mind even had the chance to react.

I made a dash to the exit of the theater and pushed the swinging door.

The swinging door was heavy, I had to use my full body strength to push it open.

I quickly slipped through the opening.

Because I was forcing my way out, I wasn't able to get a stable footing.

I tripped and fell on to the floor.

My mind was so occupied that my muscle memory even failed to try breaking my fall.

There was no time to waste, I told myself, I immediately tried to pick myself up.

But I froze halfway.

What came to view the moment I lift my head up was a familiar corridor.

This was the same corridor when I left the bedroom when I woke up, the corridor of the Blackthorn Mansion.

This time, the corridor was not dark and eerie anymore because the lights were on.

Even though the lights gave another unfamiliar feeling to this corridor but I remember the placements of a few objects.

The wall that extended down the seemingly endless corridor.

An out of place chair right beside the door to the bedroom.

And finally, the portrait hung on the wall.

I could tell this was the same wall I first saw when I exited the bedroom from before.

However, the room that I just came out of was a theater... the room that should've been the bedroom that I woke up in.

Is this really the Blackthorn Mansion?

The most surprising thing was not this strangeness but the portrait.

The portrait that I couldn't see in the darkness before were now visible in the light.

It was a picture of a woman with black hair.

She had a black dress that matched her hair colour, exposing the skin of her shoulder showing off the confidence she had.

The make-up she wore seemed to have enhanced her sex-appeal to the next level.

At first glance, she'd be a beauty who'd make men fell head over heels for her.

However, her sharp and calculating eyes, and the cunning smile has made me rejected that thought.

The strong feeling of arrogance and pride coming off from the portrait was unbearable.

It was a face I have grown familiar with and disliked before I was even reincarnated to this world.

The portrait of the adult Cecilia Blackthorn.

Wh- What is going on?!

"Aw, poor little princess. Just look at how lost you are."

The woman's voice came from behind me.

There was no need to look back to know where she came from.

"Allow me to enlighten you."

After short giggle, she said in a clear voice.

"Welcome to the Memory Corridor."

"The chaotic space made of your soul and memory."