Chapter 4 : Aurora
Ailiya’s dorm in the servant quarters was far better than she’d expected.
Though nowhere near as lavish as Liliane’s suite, it was a clean, tidy single room with bright windows and all the essentials provided.
Right now, she stood before a mirror, awkwardly adjusting her new outfit.
Clara’s craftsmanship was nothing short of miraculous.
The maid uniform, deep blue with crisp white lace trim and an apron, was tailored perfectly to her frame—elegant yet charmingly youthful.
Before this, Ailiya had always worn her faded old skirt, her hair loosely tied back, looking as plain as a roadside sapling.
Now, the girl in the mirror felt almost unfamiliar.
Her shoulder-length white hair was neatly combed, framing her cheeks softly, accentuating her already fair skin to a translucent glow.
She’d never closely examined this body’s features before, but now she noticed her face was quite delicate—round almond eyes, a petite nose, full lips, all blending into a natural, unpolished kind of cute.
Still… she didn’t feel any earth-shattering change.
This collar’s too tight… and isn’t this skirt a bit short? My back feels so breezy.
She tugged at the hem, thoroughly uncomfortable, before sighing in resignation and heading out of the dorm.
Following Liliane’s instructions, Ailiya arrived at the classroom she was to audit.
The homeroom teacher was giving final announcements inside, and she was told to wait outside.
While idly studying the moving magical murals on the corridor walls, a figure stopped beside her.
Ailiya turned to see a girl with radiant golden hair.
The girl was also dragging a suitcase, standing at the door, seemingly waiting as well.
Oh? Another transfer student.
With a friendly mindset, Ailiya offered a smile:
“Hi, are you reporting today too?”
The golden-haired girl—Aurora—turned, and when she saw Ailiya’s face, her emerald eyes widened with a storm of shock.
Ailiya Winston?! Why is she here?!
Aurora’s heart raced, her mind spinning.
No, this is all wrong!
According to the original plot, she should still be at her hometown bakery, living an ordinary life!
It’s not until years later, when war engulfs the kingdom, that she’s taken as a servant by a passing noble and tossed into St. Freya like luggage!
Why… why is she here years early?!
“Um… are you okay?” Ailiya asked, concerned by Aurora’s muttering and shifting expressions. “Were you saying something?”
“Oh, nothing!”
Aurora snapped back, suppressing her shock and forcing a perfect smile.
“I was just thinking, this academy is even grander than I imagined!”
Just then, the classroom door opened, and the teacher poked her head out:
“Alright, we have two new students today. Come in and introduce yourselves.”
Aurora strode in confidently, with Ailiya hurrying to follow.
Standing tall at the podium, Aurora’s voice rang out:
“Hello, everyone. I’m Aurora. I was specially admitted for my outstanding magic aptitude test results. My goal is to be this year’s top graduate! Nice to meet you all!”
Her bold, confident introduction drew hushed gasps and applause from the class.
Then it was Ailiya’s turn.
She gave a nervous bow, her voice soft:
“H-hello, everyone. I’m Ailiya Winston… Starting today, I’ll be serving as Miss Liliane von Winter’s personal maid and… studying here.”
If Aurora’s introduction was a stone tossed into a lake, Ailiya’s was a meteor crashing into it.
The classroom fell deathly silent before erupting into murmurs ten times louder than before.
All eyes locked onto her like spotlights, filled with shock, jealousy, curiosity, and disbelief.
Even Aurora, who’d been shining moments ago, stared at her wide-eyed.
“Quiet!” The teacher rapped the podium. “Class is starting! Ailiya, Aurora, find your seats.”
Ailiya was assigned to sit directly behind Liliane.
The noble lady had been focused on her documents the entire time, seemingly uninterested in the new students.
Only when Ailiya cautiously sat down did Liliane seem to notice, slowly raising her head.
When her violet eyes met Ailiya’s face, she paused noticeably.
The girl before her was a far cry from the dusty, panicked small-town girl from days ago.
Ailiya squirmed under her gaze, mouthing quietly:
“Is it… okay?”
Liliane’s eyes lingered for two seconds before looking away, her tone as cool as ever:
“Barely passable. Sit down and stop dawdling.”
With that, she returned to her documents.
Class began, but Aurora’s mind was nowhere near her textbook.
Seated on the other side of the room, her eyes kept drifting to the master-servant pair, her thoughts in chaos.
She knew exactly what this world was.
This was The Rose of St. Freya, an otome game.
The early story was a typical academy romance, with a commoner heroine entangled with noble princes, while Liliane von Winter was the classic villainess—prestigious, talented, and always opposing the heroine.
But that was just the surface.
After completing all the romance routes, the true ending unlocked—a massive rebellion sweeping the kingdom.
In that rebellion, countless nobles fell, nearly all the romanceable male leads died, and the naive heroine met a tragic end.
Yet Liliane, the “villainess” misunderstood by all, was the one truly trying to save her family and the kingdom.
Aurora could never forget how, in every tragic route, Liliane fought alone, burning her last reserves of magic until she perished in her family’s ruins.
She was powerful, proud, yet bore unimaginable loneliness and duty.
She wasn’t a villain—she was the most radiant, heartbreaking hero of this tragic tale.
Ailiya? Aurora vaguely recalled the name.
She was just a background character in the game’s late rebellion arc, a minor maid with one line and no portrait, vanishing soon after.
Aurora loved Liliane so much that after finishing the game, she grieved her ending for weeks.
Then one sleepless night, crossing the street in a daze, a runaway truck hit her.
When she woke, she was a new noble in this world.
Given a second chance by fate, she vowed to save her beloved Liliane!
She’d win her over before the tragedies began, changing everyone’s fates!
But… Ailiya.
This insignificant side character, who shouldn’t appear for years, was here early, and as Liliane’s personal maid?
Aurora couldn’t make sense of it, and it made her wary of this seemingly harmless white-haired girl.
Meanwhile, the highly suspected Ailiya was chewing her pen, scratching her head over the magic math problem in her textbook.
Damn it… why is this quadratic function so hard? What even is x?