Chapter 2: The Cold Mask and the Screaming Heart

Three days had passed since I officially inhabited Alicia Valerian's body. 

For those three days, I had to learn to adapt to this absurd reality: walking in heavy layered dresses that made my waist feel like it was strapped into a concrete seatbelt, speaking in an elegant low tone, and trying not to faint every time a palace servant bowed respectfully to me. 

This morning, a carriage bearing the Valerian family crest rolled smoothly past the grand gates of the Royal Magic Academy. 

The academy building looked like a hybrid of an ancient gothic castle and a magnificent modern university. Stone spires pierced high into the sky, surrounded by foggy magical forests and vast training grounds where students flaunted their elemental powers. 

As the carriage door opened, a personal attendant swiftly paved the way. 

I stepped out of the carriage. Outside, dozens of pairs of eyes instantly locked onto me. Whispers immediately rippled among the noble students gathered in the main courtyard. 

"That's... Lady Alicia..." 

"That white hair... I heard her ice magic control has reached advanced levels even though she's only sixteen." 

"Don't stare at her too long. Her gaze is so cold. She's the literal definition of an arrogant high-ranking noble." 

Hearing those whispers, I stood tall atop the stone steps. My face was kept as straight as possible, projecting an emotionless, cold, haughty expression as if I didn't care about the world around me. I gazed straight ahead with my chin slightly tilted up. 

Yet, in the deepest depths of my heart, the situation was far from calm. 

*Please don't look at me! Why are you all staring?! Is there something dirty on my skirt? Or is my tiara crooked? I swear I'm not arrogant, I'm just terrified of making a wrong step and falling in public! Why is this world so cruel to an ex-convenience store worker like me?!* 

That inner scream raged violently, making my heart pound like someone running out of breath. 

Yet outwardly, I only exhaled softly with an air of absolute elegance and arrogance. 

"Good morning, Lady Alicia." 

A cheerful voice suddenly broke through my panic-stricken thoughts. 

A young man with bright blonde hair and an academy uniform adorned with gold badges walked closer. His name was Cedric Arven, son of the kingdom's finance minister and one of Alicia's loyal followers in the novel. 

In the original novel, Cedric was one of the people who supported Alicia's cruel actions against the heroine. 

But to my current self, Cedric looked like a savior angel who could distract everyone's attention away from me. 

I looked at Cedric with a sharp gaze, narrowing my eyes slightly as if judging his presence—when in reality I was just deeply grateful someone spoke to me so I didn't have to keep posing like an ice statue. 

"What is it, Cedric?" my voice slipped out. It sounded calm, flat, and authoritative. 

Cedric suddenly swallowed hard. He looked slightly flustered, then smiled stiffly while scratching the back of his neck. 

"Ah... it's nothing, Alicia. It's just that... your gaze today feels much sharper than usual. Is something bad happening at the Duke's estate?" Cedric asked somewhat cautiously. 

Inwardly, I groaned loudly. 

*It's not sharp because I'm mad, idiot! I'm just trying super hard not to faint from nervousness dealing with all these rich snobs!* 

Outwardly, however, I only turned my face slightly to the side, wearing a mysterious subtle smile that perfected my haughty demeanor. 

"Nothing you need to worry about, Cedric. My family matters are not something you should ponder," I answered in a measured, cold tone. 

Cedric's eyes widened momentarily. His expression shifted into a mix of awe and reverence. 

"Incredible... Even when facing family issues, you can still stay this calm to protect the honor of the Valerian house. I truly admire you, Alicia," Cedric praised sincerely. 

I froze on the spot. 

*Huh? What did he say? Protecting the house's honor? When I literally just blurted out random words to get rid of him quickly?! How did he leap to such a conclusion?!* 

Before I could respond to my own ridiculous situation, the atmosphere around the academy courtyard suddenly turned dead silent. The students' whispers died down in an instant. 

Every head turned toward the main gate. 

A carriage adorned with dark silver ornaments bearing a crowned lion crest—the official symbol of the royal family—stopped right in front of the entrance. 

The carriage door opened slowly. 

A young man with raven-black hair and cold sapphire-blue eyes stepped down. His academy uniform fit his athletic frame perfectly, radiating an undeniable supreme noble aura. 

Leonhardt Arcelion. 

The crown prince of the kingdom, and Alicia Valerian's official fiancé. 

In the original novel's plot, Leonhardt's presence was always the moment where Alicia would show excessive jealousy, cling to him aggressively, and humiliate anyone who dared approach him. 

But my current self had zero intention of courting death. 

My primary plan was simple: keep my distance, stay out of the prince's way, peacefully break off this engagement in the future, and live out a wealthy retirement in the countryside. 

Because of that, the moment Leonhardt looked in my direction, I decided to do one of the safest things possible. 

Ignore him. 

I turned my face toward the academy corridor, spun around gracefully, and walked away without uttering a single word. 

My steps were forced to a halt over the polished marble floor of the corridor. I took a deep breath, adjusting my facial expression to slip back into the persona of a cold, untouchable noble lady. 

As soon as I turned around, I found Leonhardt standing just a few steps away from me. 

His sapphire-blue eyes stared intently at me, sweeping every detail of my face with an unreadable gaze. There was no smile on his handsome face, but neither was there the anger typically found in the original novel's description. 

"You ignored me just now," Leonhardt said, getting straight to the point. His voice was low, echoing through the corridor which had now suddenly emptied as other students chose to retreat and keep a safe distance. 

Inside my head, panicked screams exploded all over again. 

*Of course I ignored you, Your Highness! I'm trying to avoid my own death route! If I get too close to you, heroine Elena will show up and view me as an obstacle to your true love! Please, go find something else to do and let me live in peace!* 

Outwardly, however, I only arched one eyebrow gracefully. I stared back at him with an ice-cold gaze, trying to mimic the arrogant villainess persona. 

"You saw wrong, Your Highness," I replied in a flat, cold tone. "I was simply in a rush to advanced magic class. There is no reason for me to intentionally ignore you." 

Leonhardt fell silent for a moment. His brow furrowed slightly, observing how straight and unwavering my posture was. 

In the original novel, Alicia would have immediately whined, grabbed the prince's arm, and accused him of not paying attention to her. But this cold, indifferent response was clearly out of character. 

"Is that so?" Leonhardt stepped closer, releasing a faint scent of cinnamon and mint. "Yet it feels like you've been acting differently since last week. Usually, you wouldn't let me pass by without a greeting." 

*Oh no! He's suspicious! Is my villain disguise that terrible? Or does my cold acting look as stiff as a broken robot?* 

Cold sweat began to seep down my back, but I desperately maintained a calm facial expression, acting as if the prince's words didn't interest me in the slightest. 

"People change, Your Highness. I suppose it's natural for me to start focusing on my studies at the academy rather than other matters," I answered briefly, then gave a perfunctory, polite bow. "If there is nothing important, I must take my leave." 

Without waiting for his reply, I turned and walked away gracefully, even though inside my heart I was already sprinting in blind terror. 

Leonhardt stood in place, watching Alicia's retreating back. The corners of his lips lifted slightly into a faint, barely visible smile. 

*Interesting,* the prince thought. *This girl has truly changed. She's not chasing after me anymore.* 

Meanwhile, at the end of another corridor, the emerald-green eyes of Elena Rosehart—the novel's heroine—watched the interaction between Alicia and the prince from behind a stone pillar. 

Elena bit her lower lip slowly. A strange tumult stirred in her chest seeing Alicia treat the prince so coldly, a creeping curiosity that was slowly turning into a deep fascination toward the villainess.