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Gilles stares at me wide-eyed the moment I come out of the cabin.

Oh my. Could he have been captivated by my beauty?

Not surprising, I suppose, considering the atmosphere that Im giving off is completely different from my usual one.

Im wearing a black lace dress with golden embroidery in the same shade as my eyes. Im sure Im giving off a fantastically villainous aura with this amazing gown on. Particularly large and shining earrings accentuate the outfit, and with my hair pulled back smartly into a high ponytail, Im sure I look much more mature.

And finally my diamond necklace no longer seems so out of place. Ive fully grown into it, so instead of making me look like a little girl playing dress-up, it now ties my whole look together. It gleams wickedly from its usual spot on my chest, flaunting my affluence and style.

Youre so beautiful. Gilles murmurs in awe, his eyes still wide and fixated on me.

He probably didnt even realize he had spoken aloud. The moment the words leave his mouth, his head jerks back a bit in surprise.

I know, I say lightly, smirking at him.

..I still dont think itll be easy to conceal the fact that you cant use magic. he says once his awe subsides.

Yup. I realize that.

Why do you look so happy then?

Its just one of the many hardships on my road to becoming a villainess.

So, as long as its for the sake of your goal, youll happily throw yourself at whatever tribulations that life has in store for you?

Exactly.

Alicia, you truly are incredible. In more ways than one, Gilles says, both admiring and a bit exasperated at the same time.

Even if he doesnt 100% agree with my logic, it seems hes still willing to follow me. As expected of my assistant. No. My accomplice. My partner.

So that he doesnt realize the slightly sentimental tone of my thoughts and his promotion within my mind, I laugh haughtily as if his compliment is merely stating the obvious.

Its been so long since I last saw the magic academy, and somehow it appears even more extravagant than before.

I think staying in that tiny cabin might have had a bigger effect on me than I thought. After two years of living in miserly frugality, it probably wont take much for something to look exorbitant and wasteful in my eyes. Even my old home will likely feel overly luxurious to me now.

Alicia, a word of advice. Go in there with the mindset of walking onto a battlefield.

Why?

I think. its going to be rough in there otherwise, Gilles replies, being intentionally vague.

What could it be that even he is finding it difficult to say? Its so unlike him to beat around the bush like that.

Whatever it is, just spit it out, I say, giving him a small glare.

As if giving up, he lets out a little sigh.

Alicia, youre strong and you dont care what people say about you. I know youll be fine with whatever badmouthing they do to you but. Dont let yourself be tricked.

Tricked? Who? .Me? Who would even try it?

This time, Gilles lets out a long, drawn out sigh.

Was my question that odd? As he said, badmouthing Im okay with. More than okay with! I welcome it as evidence of my wickedness. But, being tricked? What could he mean by that?

Within the academy, youre going to be at a serious disadvantage. You didnt attend for a whole two years. The other students would have gotten used to you not being around. They probably rejoiced the day you left. But now that youre back, they..

Right as hes getting to the good part, he stops. If he was trying to draw my attention through suspense, then it worked. But without finishing that thought, I have no idea where he was going with it.

Speaking of rejoicing though. I feel over-the-moon right now! Im nothing like the villainess that I was before. Over these last two years Ive blossomed into a splendid flower of wickedness and pure evil!

And if during that time, the rest of the student body has recognized my tyranny, so much the better! After all, Im not aiming to only be a self-proclaimed villainess, but to become an evil villain whos recognized by the masses.

I guess what Im trying to say is, no matter what they do, dont let them convince you to quit the academy.

Oh, theres no need to worry about that. Theres nothing they could possibly do to make me leave, I declare. And I punctuate my statement with a big, toothy grin.

Despite my confidence, Gilles somehow doesnt seem convinced.

But thats fine. If he doesnt want to believe me, so be it. Ill just let my actions speak for me!

And, for now, I think its time that I see just how terribly disadvantageous the situation at the academy is for me. Seeing is believing, after all. Im sure its nothing that I cant handle.

And so, for the first time in two years, I stride through the gate to the academy with my back straight and my head held high.

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T/N: What an interesting choice of words. I definitely dont think Alicia is above being tricked, but I wonder how Gilles thinks those hypnotized fanatics will be able to trick her into leaving the academy. Any guesses? I honestly cant imagine what he had in mind! They can try to make her school life a living hell, but I fail to see how they could trick her into quitting lol.