Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

The morning air was crisp, the castle halls unusually quiet now that there were no looming classes, no rushed mornings, and no anxious students running late.

It was officially the start of the school holidays, and Liria had every intention of sleeping through as much of it as possible.

Unfortunately, fate disagreed.

She had just settled into the cozy embrace of her pillow when a loud knock echoed through the hall outside her room.

Ignore it, she told herself. Not my problem.

Then the knock came again. Louder. More insistent.

And then—

"LIRIA, WAKE UP!"

Liria let out a long, suffering groan, shoving the pillow over her face.

"Go away!"

"Too late for that," Enara's voice came through the door, sounding far too amused for Liria's liking. "You might want to get up. We have… company."

Liria slowly peeled her face off the pillow, frowning. "Company?"

"Yes," Enara said. "And by company, I mean Seraphis."

Liria's entire body froze.

"Why the hell is SHE here?!"

Liria stomped into the main hall, her already bad mood worsening when she spotted the familiar, elegant figure standing in the middle of the room.

Seraphis, the Academy's infamous principal, was just as imposing as ever tall, composed, and exuding an aura of effortless authority. Her sleek obsidian armor glinted in the sunlight, her silvery-white hair flowing over her shoulders like liquid moonlight.

She looked right at home in the royal castle.

Liria hated that.

Daena was there too, standing off to the side with her arms crossed, looking as unimpressed as Liria felt.

Nyssara, Enara's mother, was the only one who seemed mildly entertained by the whole thing, sipping her morning tea with a delicate smile.

Seraphis turned as Liria entered, her piercing violet gaze immediately locking onto her.

And Liria knew.

She noticed.

The way Seraphis's eyes lingered, the slight narrowing of her gaze Liria could practically hear the woman's thoughts.

Something is different.

Liria gritted her teeth and forced herself to act normal.

"Seraphis," she said, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. "Didn't think we'd see you outside the Academy."

Seraphis raised a brow. "It's the school holidays. I have… free time."

Liria narrowed her eyes. "And you decided to spend it here?"

Seraphis gave her a slow, assessing look. "I had a feeling something interesting might be happening."

Shit.

They moved to the grand sitting room, where tea was served (Liria didn't drink hers, purely out of principle) and Seraphis continued her suspicious staring.

Liria tried to act normal. Relaxed. Unbothered.

Which was hard when Seraphis was looking at her like she was a puzzle to be solved.

"So," Seraphis finally said, swirling her tea, "how have you been?"

Liria raised a brow. "Is this a social call, or are you interrogating me?"

Nyssara laughed softly, setting her teacup down. "She's always been a bit nosy, hasn't she?"

Seraphis ignored her. "Humor me."

Liria forced a lazy smirk, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, you know. The usual. Causing problems. Making people angry. Living my best life."

Seraphis's eyes narrowed.

And that was when Liria felt it.

A small pulse of magic, subtle but probing—Seraphis wasn't just looking at her. She was testing her.

Liria barely stopped herself from flinching.

She's trying to feel my magic.

She shut down her power immediately, masking it before Seraphis could sense anything off.

Seraphis frowned, ever so slightly. "Something's changed."

Liria grinned. "I got taller."

Seraphis didn't look amused.

Nyssara smirked, watching them with open curiosity. "I did hear some rumors about your little adventure, Liria. Something about a very dangerous cavern and a very mysterious treasure?"

Liria mentally cursed. "We found nothing. Just a lot of monsters and bad decisions."

Seraphis didn't react, but Liria could feel her scrutiny.

Daena finally spoke up, her voice sharp. "If you're just here to poke at my granddaughter, Seraphis, you can leave."

Seraphis turned her gaze to Daena, eyes calculating. "I didn't realize you were so… protective."

Daena smirked. "She's my kid. You got a problem with that?"

Seraphis studied her for a moment before finally setting down her teacup. "No. Just making an observation."

Liria exhaled slowly.

For now, Seraphis wasn't pushing further.

But Liria knew she wasn't off the hook yet.

Seraphis had noticed something was different.

And she wouldn't let it go.

The conversation shifted after that, moving to more neutral topics. Liria kept her responses vague, watching for any sign that Seraphis might try pushing again.

Eventually, Seraphis stood, brushing off her cloak.

"I won't overstay my welcome," she said smoothly. "Just thought I'd check in."

Liria rolled her eyes. "Right. Because you're so friendly."

Seraphis gave her a thin smile. "You know me so well."

Liria hated that.

With a final nod to Nyssara and Daena, Seraphis turned to leave.

But just as she reached the door, she paused.

And without looking back, she said, "I'll see you soon, Liria."

Liria's stomach dropped.

And then she was gone.

Silence filled the room.

Liria let out a breath, slumping back in her chair.

"I hate her."

Nyssara laughed. "Oh, she's fun. You just don't appreciate her charm."

Daena scowled. "She's a menace."

Enara, who had been silent for most of the conversation, finally spoke.

"She knows."

Liria tensed.

Enara's gaze was sharp, her tone serious. "She didn't say it outright, but she knows something changed. She's not going to let it go."

Liria clenched her jaw.

"I know."

And that was the problem.

Seraphis was a lot of things annoying, arrogant, infuriating but she wasn't stupid.

And if she kept digging…

She might just figure out something Liria didn't want her to know.

And that? That was dangerous.

The tension still clung to the air even after Seraphis had left, like a lingering storm that refused to clear.

Liria slumped further into her chair, rubbing her temples. "This is exactly why I wanted to stay in bed today."

Nyssara chuckled, still amused as she took another sip of her tea. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. That was rather entertaining."

Daena wasn't amused. She was still standing stiffly, arms crossed, her tail flicking irritably behind her. "I don't like this."

Liria snorted. "Yeah, no kidding. You looked about two seconds away from launching her through a wall."

"I should have," Daena muttered darkly. "She's got no business sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."

"She's the headmistress of the Academy," Enara pointed out, stretching lazily in her chair. "Her entire job is sticking her nose into things."

Daena shot her a look. "You're not helping."

Enara just smirked.

Liria exhaled slowly, staring up at the grand ceiling, the intricate carvings of the darkwood beams almost mocking her. "Okay. So Seraphis knows something's different. Big deal. What's she going to do? Drag me back to school and make me write an essay about it?"

"She'll watch you," Enara said, more serious now. "She'll test you. Push until she figures it out."

Liria grimaced. "Great. So basically, I should start preparing for a lifetime of inconvenience."

"Pretty much."

Liria groaned, slumping further. "Why is everything always so difficult?"

Daena finally sat down, her wings shifting as she leaned forward, her expression stern. "Because power like yours doesn't go unnoticed, Liria."

Liria stiffened.

Daena's gaze hardened. "We don't know exactly what's happening to you. And frankly? That terrifies me. You're stronger than you should be, growing faster than anyone I've ever seen. And now, Seraphis—who is one of the most ruthless, calculating women alive—has noticed."

Liria shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

She hated that.

Hated that everyone was noticing. That she couldn't just pretend everything was fine.

She had always been good at pretending.

But now, people were watching too closely.

"I'm fine," Liria muttered, avoiding Daena's gaze.

Daena's lips pressed into a thin line. "Are you?"

Liria hesitated—just for a second—before she forced a smirk. "Define 'fine.'"

Daena wasn't amused.

Nyssara sighed dramatically. "This is all very tense. Why don't we just lock Seraphis in a nice, cozy dungeon and pretend none of this happened?"

"Tempting," Daena muttered.

Enara chuckled, shaking her head. "That'd probably only make her more interested."

"Exactly," Daena said, scowling. "The best thing we can do right now is stay ahead of her." She turned to Liria, her violet eyes piercing. "That means no more reckless decisions. No running off, no getting involved in things you don't understand. I need you to be careful."

Liria bristled. "When am I not careful?"

Everyone in the room stared at her.

She scowled. "Okay, rude."

Daena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Liria, promise me. No stupid risks. No acting like you're invincible."

Liria hesitated.

Because the truth was, she didn't feel invincible.

She felt… wrong. Like her body was changing in ways she couldn't fully control. Like the Dark Sovereign's presence was growing stronger, even when she wasn't there.

She should tell them.

She knew that.

But she also knew that if she did…

They might start treating her differently.

So instead, she forced another smirk. "Fine. No unnecessary risks."

Daena's eyes narrowed, clearly sensing the half-truth.

But she didn't push. Not yet.

Liria took the chance to change the subject.

"So," she said, stretching her arms dramatically. "Since I'm being smothered by everyone's paranoia, does that mean I can at least take a nap?"

"No," Daena said flatly.

Nyssara chuckled. "You are so cruel, Daena."

"I try."

Enara stood, smirking at Liria. "C'mon. Let's go do something that isn't dealing with terrifying headmistresses."

Liria stood as well, grateful for the escape. "Now that sounds like a plan."

But as she walked out of the room, she couldn't shake the feeling that Seraphis wasn't done with her yet.