Maerie was greeted by a servant as she made her way into the ballroom. As she looked around, many of the school's hired servants bustled around into preparing the tables for the ceremony.
Atelia Academy held importance on social standing and family ties. Thus, the Academy's main student body was mostly made up of the noble children from the various noble families that resided in Atelia. These students were treated extremely well, being waited on hand and foot. This was to foster relationships and hope future alumni who would in turn donate enormous amounts of money back into the Academy.
So to say, the students were merely investments for the Academy.
Of course, every now and then, the Atelia Academy would throw a bone or two to the commoners, promising full scholarships for any commoner student who would be able to produce outstanding academic scores.
However, this was like hoping the fish would be able to climb a tree, since many commoners were under-educated.
"Lady Doll, would you like me to find your seating?" said Raijin next to her, only speaking after she had been standing in the doorway for quite some time.
Almost immediately, Maerie proceeded forwards and ended up finding her nameplate, which was all the way in the front. Alongside her name were five others: Noah Kinglsey, Christopher Jäger, Allen Carter, Fredrick Reynolds, and Henry Fitzgerald. On her right side was Christopher and on the left side was Fredrick.
Maerie remembered that she had such a fit and ordered the Academy to put her next to her 'future fiancé' at every event. When she found out that she was sitting next to the two she despised the most, she thoroughly had a rage and held it against the servants who were setting up. She had demanded that they were removed from her table.
This time, Maerie simply gave the seating an indifferent glance and sat down.
As a servant passed by her table, she snapped her fingers at him. He swiftly paused and bowed.
"Caramel macchiato," she commanded, waving her hand to dismiss him.
He bowed and left quickly to make the drink.
—
Soon enough, students began piling in.
Sipping on her drink, Maerie ignored anyone who passed by her. She held no interest in leisurely chatting, and the other noble children knew they couldn't suddenly strike up a conversation with her. It was one of Maerie's pet peeves.
Don't speak unless you're spoken to.
Even though they knew not to talk directly towards her, that didn't stop them from talking about her in a roundabout way. In fact, the attendant beside her also sparked some of their conversations.
In Atelia, the majority of the people had brown hair and dark skin. This was due to their country being sunny most of the time. Very few people had hair and skin lighter than they, including the nobles. The only people that had a fairer appearance were the Duke family Doll, the Third Prince's cousin, and his aide, Allen Carter. Seeing the attendant beside Maerie, with his silver hair, startling blue eyes, and pale skin, they were both mesmerized and astonished.
He doesn't seem to be from a well-known family that they know of, however he carried himself with such a refined elegance, that they couldn't help but wonder if he was from another country's noble family. This could explain his unknown origins.
Hearing the whispers and seeing the stares, Raijin resisted a grin and bent over slightly, whispering in Maerie's ear, "Miss Maerie, I think I've become a bit famous?"
In response to his sentence, Maerie only made an incoherent noise.
At this time, the Third Prince and his group made an appearance. The hall became slightly louder as they were guided by a servant to the table where Maerie sat. Raijin bowed as they approached, whereas Maerie pretended there was no one there.
"Greetings to the Royalty," acknowledge Raijin.
This made Maerie's lip twitch.
Did she say he could greet them?
She lost interest in her drink, the usual sweetness she preferred tasting bitter in her mouth. Placing it on the table, she withdrew her hand.
"Don't," she said, shifting her eyes to Raijin.
Though it was only for a split second, Raijin seamlessly caught the cue and knelt to her.
"My apologies, my Lady."
She ignored his words and focused on the Headmaster who walked on the stage. The Third Prince behind her, used to her behavior, made his way to his seat. The others followed suit, some feeling a little unused to Maerie's arrogant behavior.
"Hello Lady Doll, I'm—" began Fredrick, but he was cut off by the Headmaster's words.
"Welcome, dear students. I am Charles Newton, the current and first-generation Headmaster of Atelia Academy. Please be free to call me Headmaster Charles, since I know and am familiar with many of your families."
Headmaster Charles was an old man who grew well into old age, with slicked-back gray hair and charming wrinkles on his face. Many in the Academy respected him. Thus, Fredrick ceased his introduction and paid attention.
"This year, I hope to see many of you grow and learn with our Academy and to not be deterred by any obstacles in your path. We are here to help you succeed and prosper, so do not hesitate to call upon any one of our faculty members. One by one, we will introduce them. Starting with our council head..."
—
After the ceremony was over, Maerie, who did not speak one word from the beginning of Headmaster Charles' speech to the end where everyone erupted in applause, was the first person to immediately stand. She made her way through the students and out the door, heading down the path to dormitories.
"Must we walk so fast, Lady Doll?" Raijin complained, despite being perfectly capable of keeping up.
She didn't answer him, not slowing down her pace one bit. She continued until she arrived at the top floor of the girl's dormitory, where she went to the room on the west side. The moment she walked in, the maids that were cleaning up the room were startled and hurriedly bowed to Maerie.
"Get out," she snapped, glaring at the terrified maids until they were practically sprinting out the door.
When it was closed, Maerie grabbed a vase that was nearby and threw it at Raijin. Nimbly, he was able to dodge it and only gave a teasing smile at Maerie. She stared back at him, suspicion and rage blazing in her lightly colored eyes.
"You. Just what the hell are you and what did you do?" demanded Maerie.
Raijin dusted off the imaginary dirt on the shoulders of his suit before replying, "I thought we were at an agreement of who I was and what you asked for?"
Maerie was silent at this, her thin eyebrows knitting together. Her memories, although there, were faint and thus she had barely recognized him at first. Only the mocking grin he wore made her thinly believe that he was the Spirit that she had met in her dream.
"Perhaps you didn't make enough of an impression as you thought," scoffed Maerie, her demeanor taking on a relaxed, arrogant behavior, "I could barely remember our meeting. It was so vague, I figured it was a dream."
She took a seat on the velvet sofa, laying comfortably as she observed him.
"It's not unusual for a soul to be unable to remember the realm, since all those who leave it have any remaining memories wiped clean." Raijin took a seat as well, despite Maerie raising an eyebrow at him.
"So I really was just a wisp in purgatory?" asked Maerie.
"Most certainly."
She snorted at his response and looked at herself, bending and wiggling her fingers.
"But I'm here now, alive and well. Placed just a year before that damn woman came before I became the 'Third Prince's Tyrant Fiance.'" Maerie leaned back onto the sofa's armrest, closing her eyes.
"Yes, as per our contract, I've started you exactly at the beginning of your tyrannical legacy. Right now, as you might know, many only see you as a rumored deviled beauty. No one truly knows the nastiness of your personality, only that you're arrogant and standoffish."
Maerie harrumphed at his words. "Though you're not wrong, it's rather unsightly you use such ugly words to describe someone as beautiful as me."
"Miss Maerie, while I am partial to you as my contract partner, it would be wrong of me to tell you blatant lies. Honesty is the key to every partnership."
Raijin, though politely smiling at her, suddenly made Maerie irritated.
"Be that as it may," Maerie continued, deliberately ignoring his words, "I hope you learn to mind your manners around me properly. You are an attendant of Duke Doll's daughter, a noble girl who never bows to anyone. As my servant, I expect you to hold that same attitude accordingly. Of course, if you even glance at me with an ounce of disrespect, you'll be punished accordingly."
Raijin chuckled. "Miss Maerie has guts talking down to a high Spirit like me."
"I've died once already, haven't I? I have no need to fear what repercussions I receive this time." She examined her fingernails as if they were further proof that she was back in her fifteen-year-old body.
"I suppose," shrugged Raijin.
