Don't Punch The Protagonist

Arriving at the Academy had been a calming trip, Ophelia showing her excitement to get there the entire ride, even when I mentioned Floyd.

"Ophie, are you excited to see Prince Floyd?" I asked, still smiling after Ophelia had given her excited rant about living in the dorms to me.

Ophelia scoffed a bit at the mention of her fiancè, sliding down in her seat. "Who cares about him? It's not like he likes me either. He only ever visited on my birthday." She huffed. "He's lucky our feelings are mutual."

I laughed. For another reason, I was proud of that scar on my shoulder from that arrow. It had driven Ophelia away from that murdering Crown Prince. "Ophie, don't get so pouty. I didn't mean to bring him up. Oh, what about the Introductory Ball for all the freshmen? I can't wait to see you in a ballgown!"

"But you see me in one on every birthday."

"That's different! It's like Ophie's official introduction into high society! It must be as excellent as you are! Let's see, maybe that mauve-colored dress? Or the navy blue? Oh oh, maybe even the white one with red embroidery!"

I had begun on one of my gushing rants again, something I was a bit ashamed to admit I did. I took a little too much pride in Ophelia's good upbringing, so much that I would begin to go on and on about her. Is this how parents with trophy kids feel? If so, I really need to nip this thing in the butt. Ophelia just sat there looking at me, smiling gently like she was thinking about something wonderful.

I managed to stop myself before I ran out of breath. "Sorry about that, Ophie. I got a little excited..."

Ophelia snapped out of her own little trance. "It's alright. Whatever you choose for me will be wonderful, I know it." She smiled at me wider. Ophelia really was a good kid! I'm so proud! Just like always, I came out of the carriage first and helped Ophelia step out carefully. There were many other carriages with the children of aristocrats pouring out in their expensive uniforms. None of them were as dazzling as Ophelia. The only one who could possibly do that would be the heroine, Carole. I would know her when I saw her. As an Earl's daughter, she would've had a fancy but still modest carriage in comparison to Ophelia's luxurious carriage as the Duke's daughter and the Crown Prince's fiancè. I wasn't actively looking for her either. If the book events went as they were supposed to, both she and Ophelia would meet her after the entrance ceremony, as Carole in all her charming clumsiness bumps into Ophelia in the halls, making a fool of herself and Ophelia would scold her about her manners and attention span. That was what made the readers begin to see Ophelia as the villainess, even though she was scolding, not belittling. Ophelia wasn't even being mean.

That was behind me now anyway, Ophelia would be heading to the entrance ceremony while I was tasked with preparing all of her belongings in her dorm room. I saw her off after fixing her uniform's ribbon and got to work directing the school's servant staff with the moving of Ophelia's luggage to her dorm. She would be staying in the Freshmen Lily Dorms on the third floor. It was conveniently placed near all of Ophelia's classes and gave her easy access to various school facilities. Basically, she got lucky. I would be staying in the Student Servant Quarters, not far away from the dorms but far enough that the students wouldn't have to see their servants work. Unlike Ophelia, I'd be sharing a room with at least two roommates which was fine. I'd spent my entire life sharing a room with other people and other than the fact they were strangers, I would still be in the same situation. Well, expecting the maids I room with are mature and respect privacy.

I felt like I was jinxing myself already.

Within an hour I had helped haul all of Ophelia's possessions into her room and put them away. I knew the entrance ceremony had at least an hour of it left and began to bide my time doing what needed to be done. I tested the comfy bed and was almost knocked out cold. It was like laying on a cloud of pure cotton and the sheets were silky and comfortable. The true sign of a rich man is the quality of his bed and you can't tell me otherwise. As much as I loved that bed, I got up because if I damaged it I'd have to live more than twenty lifetimes to pay for this thing. I then did some random tasks to pass the time. Sorted the clothes by color, the shoes by color, sorted accessories from favorite to least favorite and practiced my flute. I had visited my room in the servant's quarters earlier to find four beds, meaning I'd have three roommates. I chose the best bed out of the four because first come, first serve. Twas a rule that transcended worlds and I took full advantage of it. My stuff was put away neatly, but you could still tell someone had claimed the bed and had somewhat settled in.

Checking my pocket watch, a fourteenth birthday present, it showed that the time was currently 2 o'clock pm. The entrance ceremony would be ending in fifteen minutes which gave me ample time to lock the door to Ophelia's room and begin the walk to the school's theater. Would it be called a theater or auditorium? Either way, it was a place where you sat and watched other people do things on stage.

There were other servants waiting in the halls leading to the auditorium as well, many of them chatting excitedly to each other. It would do good for me to make a good impression with them, but I was much more interested in waiting for one of the first events of the story to begin. I chose a spot that gave me a good view of the entrance to the auditorium, noticeable for Ophelia to notice me when she came out and quiet enough for the other servants to not know I was there. That backfired quickly because I forgot about the looks I had been blessed with from (both of) my Mother(s). I stood out like a sore thumb despite my best efforts to blend in with everyone else. I couldn't help but mentally cry as I felt the curious gazes of my peers and heard myself become the topic of some conversations.

Why couldn't I have an average appearance like so many other reincarnated people? Stop looking at me... I'm not a noble family's young miss in disguise either! Please stop making up these rumors. Why can't this damn entrance ceremony go any faster?

The first one to approach me was a blonde girl in a maid's uniform just like me. Saying 'approach' was a bit of a stretch though. It was more like slowly slide down the wall next to me like in those bad romance movies. But it wasn't down a bar and she didn't have any flirtatious intentions. She stared at me for a good couple of minutes while I pretended I didn't notice. It was probably one of the most awkward moments I'd ever had in this life. I eventually turned to look at her.

"Is there something on my face?" I asked. I wanted to literally punch myself. What a wonderful way to start a conversation. I can talk down a bunch of unruly kids but can't start a conversation. Goddammit, brain. The other maid's face went a bright red. I even embarrassed her, great. Then again, she was the one staring into my soul.

"O-oh, no! I was just um... I... I was just... I'm sorry..." Her voice got progressively quiet as she kept trying to say what she wanted to say. It was obvious this girl was either much younger than me or was extremely shy. I was leaning towards both. Speaking of which, she looked terribly familiar. Bobbed blonde hair, a blue ribbon in it, blue eyes..... Oh shit, it's the protagonist's maid, that one side character that I'm pretty sure everyone forgot about. Almost every story has that.

"It's fine. If you have something to say, I'd prefer you to say it rather than dance around the topic by staring."

"Ah! I was just wondering if you were in the wrong place..."

"Hm? I'm wearing a servant's uniform just as you are. I don't see why I'd be in the wrong place."

"W-well I mean... You don't seem like a servant..."

"How so?" I raised my eyebrow curiously. I was honestly interested in what she had to say. Other than my appearance, I believe that I'm very servant like. I've been training as one essentially my whole life to be of the most use to Ophelia and earn my keep in the Dubannes household. What about me wasn't servant like? Her face went redder.

"I guess... The way you carry yourself and way of speaking..."

"Isn't it expected of a servant to be able to hold a respectful conversation with their master and peers? And how do I carry myself?"

"T-there's a lot of confidence-"

"A person shouldn't take pride in their work?"

"T-t-that's not what I meant at all!"

"Then what exactly did you mean?"

I didn't mean to be so harsh, but it was getting closer and closer to the time of the entrance ceremony's end. I needed to be able to focus on the event and see if it went differently from the original and this side character, I mean person, was preventing that.

"I just meant that you seemed more like a noble than someone of common birth..."

"I see. Who might you be?" I will fully admit I forgot her name. She was just so boring as a side character I forgot her existence. I'm sorry random maid.

"R-Rachael Jones. Personal maid of Earl Millstone's daughter, Miss Carole Millstone."

So Rachael was her name. I thought it was a name that started with an R. Regina or something. At least she presented herself with her mistress' name proudly.

"I don't remember Earl Millstone having a daughter. A son, but no daughter." Guess I'll play dumb for a bit to see how this goes.

"W-well she was just found again a year ago. I don't blame you for not knowing my lady."

"Hm. Ava Simmonds. Personal maid of Duke Dubannes' daughter, Lady Ophelia Dubannes. I hope we can continue as acquainted peers."

Rachael obviously knew of Ophelia as her eyes went wide for a couple of seconds along with her jaw slightly dropping. I couldn't help but let out a giggle at her reaction, causing her face to go pink once more.

"You'll catch flies like that, Miss Jones."

She quickly shut her mouth at that and turned away from me, clearly embarrassed. What a first meeting that was. Just in time for it to finish too. Before any other servants could approach me to get connections for their masters to Ophelia (and me most likely), the door to the auditorium opened and noble children began to file out. There were other exit doors as well, which explained why Carole would ever bump into Ophelia in the first place. This was just the main entrance. I waited patiently for Ophelia to appear. At the sight of the black hair I had spent hours brushing to perfection, I stood up straighter and waited for her to catch sight of me. That was when I saw it, the flash of brown and Ophelia's figure appearing from the crowd. Here it comes.

Just like it depicted in the first book, Carole ran almost full speed into Ophelia and sent both of them to the floor with a loud sound. Just like I knew I would too, I almost ran to Ophelia's side with my long skirt picked up to assist her in standing once more. Damn me and my instincts.

"Young Miss, are you alright?! That was such a rough fall!" I was fussing over her just like usual. Brushing dirt off her uniform, checking over her for injuries. Just like a mother or worrisome housewife.

Ophelia smiled at me. "I'm quite alright, Ava. I'm more worried about her. Are you okay?" She asked Carole, eyes clearly expressing worry and a bit of annoyance. I looked at who would be the center of attention as well and couldn't help but silently sigh. Carole was just as pretty as the book had depicted her. Long-chocolate brown hair in braids, royal blue eyes, just a generally pure and innocent looking girl. Honestly, she didn't compare to Ophelia in any way to me. I was completely unaffected.

Is this what being desensitized means? Or perhaps I'm just not attracted to the pure type? They remind me of clueless kids so I feel a bit like a pervert. That makes sense.

"I'm okay! I'm so sorry for bumping into you!" Carole was quick to pick herself off the ground, blushing up a storm just like in the book. Rachael had come to her side as well, embarrassed for her master. I could understand. If my friend ever bumped into someone I was trying to be friends with while I was around, I'd die of embarrassment and then probably laugh at them.

"It's quite alright, but please be more aware of your actions next time. You could've seriously injured someone else or yourself." Ophelia spoke, her voice wasn't coated in venom or hiding a secret insult. Pure genuine worry. But the heroine still looked offended. I swear to god-

"I know that. I'm not an idiot."

..... I fucking knew I was going to hate her all over again. I just knew it. Carole didn't say anything like this in the original, but her thoughts spoke volumes about her thinking Ophelia was looking down on her for coming from a commoner upbringing despite not even knowing she existed until just now. Carole why you like this? I don't care if I'm biased, you're being rude.

Ophelia frowned. "I didn't mean to offend you. I was just saying to be more aware of your surroundings next time..."

"And I said I know. You don't have to speak to me like that, I know when I'm in the wrong."

Rachael looked appalled at her mistress' words but could only put a hand on her shoulder to try and steer her away. At this point, everyone else was looking at us and I could tell where this was going. The people nearby who could hear looked just as appalled as Rachael, clearly seeing that Carole was the one in the wrong and that Ophelia was being framed as the villain for no reason. The people on the outskirts could only wait for the aftermath so they could gossip with the ones in the know. This was definitely not cannon and I was getting more and more annoyed with Carole as time went on.

I tugged on Ophelia's sleeve before she could reply. "Young Miss. I believe it's time for a late lunch." I made eyes at the gathering crowd and she understood immediately what I was doing. Ophelia played along.

"Is that so? Then I suppose it's time to eat. Please excuse me." Ophelia gave a curtsy to a still seething Carole and before she could say something more, I lead Ophelia away from the protagonist and her maid and the crowd. Once we were out of earshot, I couldn't help but click my tongue.

"Who in the world did she think she was? And to think I was becoming acquainted with her maid. How bad-tempered."

Ophelia shook her head. "I've never seen her before either. Did her maid mention who that lady was?"

"Earl Millstone's daughter, Carole. Apparently, she was just introduced to society last year. I'm not sure why. I apologize for being ill-informed."

Ophelia smiled at me once again. "It's quite alright, Ava. I knew nothing of her until you told me either. I'd rather not talk about her now. How about that late lunch and a song? I need some of your music to help me relax."

I smiled. "Of course, Ophie. I packed some cookies from home as well. They'll go wonderfully with lunch."

I could see Ophelia's eyes sparkle at the mention of my cookies. I seem to have turned her into quite the sweet tooth. Leading her to her dorm room for lunch was probably the best part of today.

--------

"Does she think I'm an idiot just because I was raised as a commoner?! These nobles are just so annoying!"

Rachael couldn't help but flinch at the volume of her mistress' voice in the safety of her dorm room. After the spectacle she had made of herself, she could only lead her mistress back to her room to help calm down. Before they were even out of earshot the other students had begun to gossip.

"Y-Young Miss, I don't think that Lady Ophelia even knew of your existence until today..." Rachael instantly regretted her words.

"How can she not know of me but you know of her?! She must be trying to humiliate me or something!"

"Please calm down, Young Miss. Everyone knows of Duke Dubannes' daughter. I just knew it was her because of meeting her maid earlier."

Carole's rage finally paused and her maid couldn't help but physically relax a bit. Her lady's fits of rage were always so terrifying. She never knew what would happen during them. Once at home she had even broken a priceless vase due to it. The Earl had done nothing to correct her behavior due to still being in bliss of having his only daughter home after so long. Rachael still couldn't figure out where all of Carole's rage came from. All she knew for sure was that it terrified her.

"..... A Duke's daughter?" Rachael nodded furiously. Carole let out a cold laugh.

"No wonder she talked down to me like that. She's been raised with a silver spoon in her mouth!"

The young maid couldn't help but shake at the tone of her lady's voice. You would've thought Ophelia insulted her entire bloodline, not gently advise her to be careful. Rachael could only wait for her rage to subside, despite knowing for sure that Carole had carved an undeserved place of hatred in her heart for the Duke's only daughter.

[ So.... Y'all enjoy the first appearance of the enigma known as the protagonist? I sure am. Writing her will be a ball. School is starting for me in literally a day, so that's wonderful. Updates may come a bit slower due to this, but they'll come! As always, make sure to leave vote and comment if you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter! That reminds me, would you guys like if I started putting in reference pictures in for the characters or just described them as usual? Please do tell. Love you~ ]