Page 60 of Is It Wrong to Escape My Fate?
Touché.
“Let me correct myself then.” I cleared my throat. “If Winston weren’t a little bitch, I would’ve stayed.”
Holy shit,I said that out loud! I already stopped myself once; why couldn’t I do it again?
Dahlia and Claude wheezed over in laughter while Elias choked on air. I could imagine that calling the Prince “a little bitch” wasn’t something you heard every day, and even if you did, the person would be executed sooner than later.
The academy’s bell tolled; it was spelled to be heard at every corner of the grounds, even deep inside buildings or underground. It was soon followed by a voice.
Reminded me of loudspeakers.
“Good morning, everyone.” It was Winston’s voice. Everyone recognized it immediately, and the noise died down, waiting for his next words. “The Kingdom and the Oracle discovered the third Champion. Currently one of the professors for Physical and Combat Training; a Captain of the Army; and a marquis’s heir — Lord Samuel Grimwald.”
There were cheers and claps all around because this could only mean good things for the Kingdom; one step closer to victory against the Demon Lord.
“And much like before, I ask that all of us proceed as usual. The Priestesses’ prophecy can only be dismantled if there is a great variation between what they Saw what is happening. That means: no celebration. Do not treat the Champions differently than you would if they were not the chosen ones.”
This line of thinking coincided with how he declined his engagement with Lady Cecilia — it would be a huge, Kingdom-wide event, and would possibly disrupt the prophecy into becoming true.
It also emphasized how much of a nobody I was, since Winston didn’t consider adding a Caregiver to their group a “great variation”.
“That will be all. Thank you for listening.” At his dismissal, the noise and chatter started anew. “Wait.”
There was silence, again.
“Princess, you better be following my rules. That is all.”
What —the audacity of this man! Using the Royal Announcement to call me out — not that anyone would figure out who he was referring to as a “princess”. And besides, didn’t he tell us he wouldn’t use the nickname outside of our group?
Great, now I was referring to the Champions asourgroup.
Claude was laughing again while Dahlia watched me with curious eyes. “He calls you ‘princess’?” she asked in a whisper. Of course she’d realize it quickly; Dahlia was a smart woman as I realized over the past week.
“Now I know why you call him a little bitch,” Elias muttered, and I couldn’t help the giggles that poured out of me despite this messed up situation.
As for everyone else, renewed vigor was in the air amidst the gossip springing up: who the heck was theprincessthe Crown Prince mentioned? Was he engaged? Shouldn’t there be an announcement? Since everyone avoided gossiping about the Champions, it was expected they’d latch on to the very next thing.
Was that intentional on Winston’s part? Since he considered my involvement a non-factor to the prophecy, it was okay to distract everyone about me to avoid the topic of the Champions?
Very clever and manipulative. I had to give him credit for that, but I hated him a little for usingme.Well, not like the majority of the people knew that. But still!
I chanced a look at Lady Kathel and Lady Mera — Lady Cecilia’s cronies; they were hunched together, gossiping, and I wondered if they figured out it was me, too. There was no way, right?
History and Language classes went by in a breeze. Unsurprisingly, my one true skill in this universe was my voracious reading, which was useful in both classes. It was easy for me to pick up facts and key events in History. Language class was structured as expected, starting with an overview at a grade school level, to accommodate the commoners who didn’t get a homeschooled education as was typical for a noble child.
My family’s estate was a little fortunate in that. My parents sought education for everyone in the manor’s employ, at the very least. Mia and my knights were well-educated, but I couldn’t say the same for all noble’s personal maids or bodyguards.
Elemental Magic: Water class was next. Professor Strom waltzed in through the classroom door, dressed impeccably as always, the sight reminding me I still hadn’t returned his coat. It was currently sitting in my enchanted satchel. I couldn’t find the right time.
“We will try to perform some hands-on magic today,” he announced, and excitement bubbled up not just from me, but from everyone in the room. “But first, a review of the components needed for a successful spellcasting. Anyone?”
Dahlia raised her hand, and the professor called on her. “There are three components: gesture, chant, and implement.”
“Correct. Every spell starts with these three components, but the better you get at casting and understanding it, the less you need them. For example, a basic Form Water spell.” ProfessorStrom held out his palm, and without any gestures or chants, an orb of water formed and floated over it. Everybody gasped.
“Did I use any components?” he asked, and the answer was a resounding “no” from my classmates. However, I thought not, so I stayed quiet. “Miss Bea, you don’t agree?” Everyone turned to face me, and I felt the heat creep up my neck.
“Water spells can use the water in the air as implement if there’s no body of water nearby, so I thought …” I trailed off, my cheeks getting warmer at the unwanted attention.
