Avoiding Death in an Otome Game

Chapter 38: Chapter - 38: Start of a Friendship

Hina’s Pov:-

I thought today would be a good day but it turned out to be the worst.

It was going all good until the classes ended and I went to the library to obtain the game’s loot; protective magic circle ’Treaticia’ which I was supposed to eventually obtain later by following the game timeline.

But unfortunately the game story is all over the place so I also decided not to follow it either and get the magic circle ahead of time.

But when I finally obtained the book which was supposed to contain the magic circle....it was blank!

I mean there were words but the portion which was supposed to contain the magic circle was blank, which means someone took the magic circle before me.

When I thought of the possibilities only two names came to my mind, first the villainess Elena who is also a reincarnated person like me.

And the second one...

Kai Shen, who was right there when I got the book and he seems to be searching for some kind of book himself in that particular area.

If my assumption is true then the question is how did he know about the magic circle?

Did Elena told him? And even if she did and he took the circle then why is he looking for the book now?

To get the answers to my questions, I decided to confront him.

”Lord Kai, sorry to disturb you.... Actually I thought maybe you wanted this book, I accidentally took it?”

Let’s observe his reactions. He doesn’t know that I am a reincarnated person so he will not know what the intention behind my question is.

”Huh? No I think you have some misunderstanding, lady Hina. I wasn’t looking for that book. I wanted this one.”

He insisted on the fact that he wanted the other one, which seems like a total lie.

I mean who reads books about some black sea or whatever that is.

”Oh, so have you already read this book?”

I finally asked the real question with all my focus on his expressions. If he lies then my woman’s intuition should be able to tell, right?

”Is that an interesting book? I am only interested in mysteries like this one. You know black sea is really an interesting place.”

He said without suspicious changes in his expressions but I still can’t get rid of my doubt.

”Ahem!”

When I was just thinking about what to do next, I heard a voice from my back so I turned around to see who was there.

”May I know what’s going on here, Lord Kai and Lady Hina?”

It was lady Elena and she seemed unusually cold as she asked in a frosty tone.

*Don’t tell me she got the wrong idea?*

I got worried over how to explain to her the situation when I suddenly remembered that she is also one of my suspects and major one at that.

”Lady Elena, have you read this book? It’s a masterpiece ’Panaceasina’. It’s just there seems to a part missing in page 137.”

”I am not interested in that book. Now if you don’t mind lady Hina, I want to read what my fiance likes.”

But the answer was completely out of the syllabus as it seems she’s not even interested in what I am talking about as she passed by me and went to sit beside Kai.

*For now, it doesn’t seem like I can get the information out of them.*

Sigh..

I decided to take my leave so not to create some unnecessary scenes by some weird misunderstanding.

Just when I was about to leave the library the librarian lady suddenly stopped me.

”If you want to borrow the book, you will have to register with your student ID.”

”Oh sorry. I don’t want it.”

I gave the book to the librarian since it’s now useless for me. And left the library empty handed.

I thought the bad day would end there but I forgot one important detail....

....

After getting back to my room and getting myself fresh, I decided to finally take a rest on my bed when I heard a noise of footsteps.

”Click”

With the sound of the door being unlocked by a key it finally hit me that the one who has arrived is my roommate, which means the villainess Elena.

*Should I inquire about the book?*

I thought for a moment but then dropped the idea. Even if I find out that she took the magic circle, there’s nothing I can do about it. Besides...I am too tired to ask her about it.

Elena quietly entered the room and headed to her side of the room. The room has a partition to separate the portions in two equal halves so we can still have our privacy even when sharing the room.

I briefly glanced towards the end of the partition. I have a feeling that Elena had some kind of misunderstanding in the library.

Honestly if I had been in her place, seeing my fiance talking alone with another girl in a secluded corner of the library, I probably would have misunderstood too.

”...Lady Hina.”

Just when I was thinking, whether I should say something to clear the misunderstanding or not, I heard Elena’s voice and stiffened subconsciously.

”Y-yes?”

There was a brief silence. Then Elena walked out from around the partition and unexpectedly she no longer has the cold expressions from before.

Instead she looks strangely nervous.

”...I want to apologize for my rude behavior earlier”

I blinked in surprise. To be honest I don’t know how to reply to this as I never expected to receive an apology from the villainess.

”I know it was a misunderstanding on my part.”

”It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize, lady Elena. As a girl I understand your worries.”

I replied trying not to sound rude to her. Actually I didn’t expect her to be acting so possessively for her fiance. Even in the game she was distant and cold to the heroine, but she wasn’t acting possessive for her fiance.

Though now both the scenario and the man in the engagement is changed and also the villainess herself is probably not the same either. Maybe she really likes Kai?.

”Thank you for understanding. Again sorry, I shouldn’t have thought about you in such a way when I already know that you have a lover.”

*W-what?! How does she know it! It was supposed to be a secret!*

Although Lucian and I are a couple but that is supposed to be a secret from the general public since the royal family hasn’t accepted it yet.

The only people in our class who we have told about it were Luna and Ray, and no matter how talkative Luna is there’s no way she would reveal our secret.

”L-lover? W-what are you talking about?”

I replied hastily trying hard to hide the truth.

”Huh? Aren’t you and prince Lucian lovers? Everyone knows about it?”

Elena said it like it is a matter of fact but I had no idea how everyone knows about it!

*I should have known that we can’t hide it while attending the same class.*

I thought as I worry over what the royal family’s reaction would be on it, though Lucian’s mother, the queen is in our favor so it should not be a problem.

Sigh...

I subconsciously let out a sigh, almost forgetting that Elena’s is still looking.

”Sorry about that, I was just thinking about something. And I have a request, please don’t openly say that prince Lucian and I are a couple.”

”Oh, okay. I understand that it must be complicated when it comes to royalties. By the way, if you don’t mind, can we be friends? I promise I will not act like that again.”

Elena said as she extended her right hand towards me. Honestly she’s kinda boyish when it comes to noble courtesy which is completely different than her game personality.

”Sure lady Elena.”

I said as I also held out my hand for a handshake, something you would not usually see two noble ladies doing as a gesture of friendship.

And that’s how I became Villainess’s friend, something I did never expect before coming to the academy.