Chapter Two

The moment I woke up, I looked around the place and realized it was still the same room as last night.

I'm still here. Did I really die and reincarnate? Can I go back? I don't like this place. There are no computers, tv, microwave, internet, consoles, and so on. Women also do not have many rights. I would like to thank the women who paved the way for us young, okay, and not so young girls in modern society for the rights and privileges that we are receiving now though there is still some inequality, it's not as bad as in this country where women are practically like trophies being flaunted about. It's like a sin here if you are a woman, especially those who were born into nobility, and are still unmarried.

"Would you like to freshen up now, my lady?" Carmella asked when she entered my room and saw that I was already up.

Another thing I miss in the modern world is a bath, like a proper bath. How can they not have a proper bath, it's not like water is scarce here and no, wiping your body with water and towel is not a bath. What's worse, they wipe your body with essential oils to 'remove' smell. I feel so sticky, I wanna scrub myself with a stone. 

"Yes please." I said as I stood up and prepared myself to be wiped again.

When Carmella was about to slather me with essential oil, I asked her to get me another basin of water and told her to put a few drops of the oil in the water and use it to wipe me again.

After getting dressed, I tried to recall my schedule for the day. This world seems to have a different way of defining a date. They also have 7 days in a week but they have no months. A year consists of 280 days. Days of the week are called fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, dark, and light respectively. The date is arranged like fire 1, water 2, wind 3, earth 4, lightning 5, dark 6, light 7, fire 8, water 9, …, wind 276, earth 277, lightning 278, dark 279, light 280. In this country there are 4 seasons with 70 days each season, starting spring, summer, fall, and winter. Today is MA (Magical Age) 273 Earth 151. It's already fall. 

I have 2 hours of dance class in the 8th hour, and 2 hours of potions class in the 15th hour today. One day here also consists of 24 hours the same as on earth. 

I can't believe I'm a student again. A not very diligent student on top of that. 

I head to my class and find a place to sit down and observe other people. Based on my memory, I have no friends here. I mostly stayed in the corner and didn't talk to anyone. My stepmother had instilled in me that I am not allowed to talk to other nobles or I might bring shame to my house. The other nobles too gave up getting close to me when they realized that the crown prince and I have no good relations. They totally stopped talking to me when Emily and Stefan's behavior became more obvious.

Madam Margaret, our dance instructor, arrived and like how we do it every time, she would ask the gentlemen to pick a paper with a lady's name in a box and that would be their partner.

One by one the men went in front of the ladies and asked them to dance. I'm not interested in dancing as a person from the modern world who just stays at home during my free time, I have no idea how to dance. I'll just rely on my body memory and hope that works.

"Lady Audrey, would you do me the honor of dancing with you?" A classmate said as he approached me and offered his hand.

"The honor is all mine, Prince Xavier." I said after I gave a simple curtsy and held the offered arm.

My partner is Xavier d'Allenscheid, the second prince born of a commoner. Polygamy is not allowed in this country that is he reason why Prince Xavier is being ostracize by other nobles. 

We practice dancing until Madam Margaret is satisfied with our result. I'm glad that my body memory started kicking in a few minutes after we started dancing. I have accidentally stepped on Prince Xavier's foot a number of times before I can finally do it. 

After the lesson , I went to the library and looked for the section where I can read about the fundamentals of magic, which I should have learned in my first year but Audrey didn't even bother learning it properly thinking she doesn't really need it for she is marrying the crown prince and also since she's really bad at magic, it seems like she gave up on it. 

I arrived at the right column of books and saw Professor Xander. Remembering our conversation yesterday, I slowly turned around and attempted to leave the place.

"Stay right there." He said and suddenly, I couldn't move.

Did he stun me? Is this magic?

He went in front of me.

"Good morning, Lady Audrey. I was gonna look for you in the afternoon but since you're already here. Let's talk about what happened yesterday." He replied.

"And if I say no?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it but leave you alone." He replied and shrugged his shoulders.

"Would you remove the magic you cast on me before you leave?" I asked hopefully.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lady Audrey." He replied and smiled, that smile looks so evil to me.

"Why don't we transfer to a place where we can converse comfortably, professor." I suggested when I realized, there's no way out of this predicament.

Professor Xander walked away and I almost complained that I couldn’t move when I realized that I can move now. I sighed and followed him. We were going in the direction of his office.

Thank God it's not another empty classroom.

We entered his office and he pointed to the sofa for me to sit. He started boiling water for tea using fire magic to boil the water.

That is so cool. How did he do that?  Maybe I could ask him. He's my magic professor anyway. Maybe he'll be kind and give me remedial classes.

He served the both of us tea before sitting down.

"So what happened yesterday?" He asked.

"Ummm… I fell down the stairs?" I replied.

"Clearly you fell down the stairs. After all, it was me who found you there barely breathing." He replied sarcastically.

I looked away and tried to figure out what information he wanted.

"How did you protect your life? I'm sure you should have died with that amount of blood." He said.

"I honestly don't know, Professor. My memory of the accident is quite vague even for me." I replied.

"Hmmm… I see. Have you been hiding your magical capability?" He asked.

"Huh?" I replied confused.

"How about you boil this tea again using fire magic?" He asked but it sounded more like a command.

I tried to create a fire with whatever information was retained on my brain but only sparks came out.

"Lady Audrey, were you even listening to my lectures last year? Why does it look like you don't even know the most basic way of producing magic?" He asked or more like he interrogated me.

I looked down feeling like a child being scolded for doing something bad.

"If you can't even do something as simple as producing fire then how can you do that kind of magic?" He muttered.

"What do you mean by that kind of magic, Professor?" I asked genuinely curious about what he said.

He stared at me as if trying to figure out if I'm just playing dumb.

"When I found you yesterday, you were badly injured but you were covered in a coat of magic that's trying to preserve your life. It's like you're in a suspended status. It stops the injury from deteriorating any further and killing you. It's brilliant magic. Imagine if we can use that kind of magic it can save a lot of lives." He said.

"I'm sorry professor but I really have no clue of that magic. I don't even know that kind of magic. It just might be me clinging to life and my magic reacting to that?" I said, sounding very unsure of my theory.

Professor Xander sighed disappointedly after hearing that.

Maybe it was the time my soul was trying to enter Lady Audrey's body or something. It might be my soul he was seeing.

"That is a possibility." He nodded and sipped his tea.

"Maybe we can try to prove that theory." He said and looked at me.

"I don't particularly enjoy the near death experience, professor." I replied annoyed and the tea that he was holding suddenly overflowed.

"Hey, control your magic." He said as he put his cup down and wiped his burned hand after he healed himself.

I was shocked with what happened. 

How in the world did I do that?

"Why do you look so surprised?" He asked.

"How did I do that?" I asked.

"What do you mean by how? Magic is within us so when our emotions surge the magic can also surge, you probably felt like you wanted to pour the tea on me, that's why it overflowed. Did I not teach these things last year? I'm sure I did though." He explained.

"But I wasn't feeling that annoyed. It was only a little bit. I can't say that it was an emotional surge." I replied.

"Hmmm… really? Or maybe you're just that dimwitted you didn't even realize you're annoyed at me." He said trying to goad me and the cup in front of him suddenly shattered.

I was terribly surprised when that happened.

"Did I do that? I don't remember anything like that happening before." I replied, feeling a bit scared of what happened. 

Okay, I'm panicking. It's like some horror movies. Are the cabinet doors gonna start opening and closing now?

It did. The cabinets are starting to shake. I'm freaking out now. The cabinet drawer started to flow out and hit walls.

"Lady Audrey, please calm down. Lady Audrey!" Professor Xander exclaimed when a whirlwind started and the papers started scattering. 

I grew more scared of what was happening and I started remembering some memory in the back of my mind about a movie scene I saw where the whirlwind caught fire then suddenly the papers were catching fire.

"Audrey, stop!" Professor Xander said as he suddenly hugged me.

I was momentarily shocked and forgot about that scene. I gradually started calming down in his embrace while he kept muttering it's okay. 

After a while, he let go of me and I looked around and noticed that everything was the same as before.

"Lady Audrey, I hope you can forgive my actions but it was for you to take your mind off what is happening. I need you to follow me." He said as he opened the door beside his table.