Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

Life had become a relentless gauntlet of misery. Every morning, the sun mocked me with its cheerful rise, as if daring me to survive another day. School, followed by the nightmare of training with her Seraphis, the tyrant masquerading as an instructor. My body ached, my mind reeled, and my soul yearned for one thing: a break.

This morning was no different. I lay in bed, staring at the ornate ceiling of my room in Enara's castle, my mind sluggish from exhaustion. But even in my groggy state, I noticed something odd: Ananara was missing. Again.

That arrogant pineapple had been sneaking off during the nights recently, returning just in time for breakfast with some vague excuse or another. I had long stopped questioning it; dealing with him was exhausting at the best of times. Still, his absence sparked an idea one so ridiculous it just might work.

With a surge of hope, I sat up, brushing my mismatched hair out of my face. "System," I called out mentally, trying to keep the desperation from leaking into my tone.

[Yes, Host? What is it this time?] The system's voice dripped with casual indifference, like it had better things to do than humor me.

"Do you have some sort of... skill? A way to make me seem sick so I can skip school today?" I asked, clasping my hands in silent prayer.

For a moment, there was only silence, and then was that laughter? The system was laughing at me.

[Host, you never fail to amuse me. You're asking to fake illness? Truly, your ingenuity knows no bounds.]

"Just answer the question!" I hissed, glancing at the door to make sure no one overheard me yelling at what appeared to be thin air.

[Very well. I do, in fact, have a skill that can simulate symptoms of illness. Phantom Plague: it mimics fever, pallor, and fatigue. Completely harmless but quite convincing.]

"That's perfect!" I grinned. "Activate it!"

[Ah, ah, Host. Not so fast. Using this skill will cost you 50 mana, and you'll only be able to maintain the illusion for a few hours. Are you sure this is worth it?]

"Yes! A hundred times yes!" I practically shouted.

[As you wish.]

The moment the skill activated, a wave of warmth flushed through me, followed by a bone-deep lethargy. I stumbled to the mirror and inspected myself. My complexion had paled, beads of sweat dotted my forehead, and my eyes looked sunken.

"Wow," I murmured. "I actually look like death."

[Thank you, Host. I aim to please.]

Now came the tricky part selling the act. As footsteps echoed down the hall, I hurriedly slumped back into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. Moments later, Enara burst into the room, her usual commanding presence making the walls feel smaller.

"Liria, get up! We're going to be late again, and I refuse to give that smug professor another reason to scold us."

I let out a weak groan, turning my head to face her. "I... don't think I can go today, Enara," I croaked.

Her midnight eyes narrowed, suspicion dancing across her face. "What are you talking about? You were fine yesterday."

"I don't know." I coughed pathetically for emphasis. "I think I might've caught something. I feel awful."

Enara leaned closer, inspecting me like a jewel appraiser. For a terrifying moment, I thought she might see through the ruse. But then her frown deepened, and she stepped back.

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"You do look terrible," she admitted. "Stay here. I'll send someone to fetch the healer."

"No!" I blurted, panic flaring in my chest. "I just need rest. A healer would be a waste of their time."

Enara arched an eyebrow but seemed to accept my protest. "Fine. But if you're not better by tonight, I'm dragging you to the infirmary myself."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

After Enara left, I let out a sigh of relief. The system's skill was holding up brilliantly. I spent the morning tucked in bed, occasionally coughing or groaning loud enough for anyone passing by to hear.

Ananara finally made an appearance during breakfast, perched on my bedside table with his usual air of disdain.

"You look even more pathetic than usual," he remarked. "What's this charade about?"

"I'm skipping school," I whispered, shooting him a warning glare. "And you're not going to ruin it."

"Relax, I don't care what idiotic games you play," he replied, his leaves twitching dismissively. "Just don't expect me to cover for you."

"Some familiar you are," I muttered.

Just when I thought I'd pulled off the perfect scam, there was a knock at the door. Before I could respond, it opened to reveal Seraphis.

My heart plummeted.

"Playing hooky, are we?" she said, her tone dangerously pleasant.

"I'm sick," I rasped, clutching the blankets tighter around me.

Seraphis strode into the room, her spear resting against her shoulder. "You think I don't know when one of my students is faking it? Your little magic trick doesn't fool me."

I shot a mental glare at the system. "You said this would work!"

[It did. Against normal observers. Seraphis is anything but.]

"Get up," Seraphis ordered, her golden eyes narrowing. "We're going to the training grounds. If you have enough energy to concoct schemes, you have enough to spar."

My groan was genuine this time.

"Worst. Day. Ever," I muttered, dragging myself out of bed as Ananara chuckled in the corner.

Before I could fully process the misery of being dragged to the training grounds, the door opened again this time revealing Daena in all her imposing glory. Her obsidian skin shimmered faintly, the silver flecks catching the light, and her massive horns curved with an air of regal menace. She looked at Seraphis, then at me, her glowing violet eyes narrowing slightly.

"Seraphis," Daena said coolly, her voice like velvet over steel. "What are you doing here?"

"Ensuring my student doesn't shirk her responsibilities," Seraphis replied, crossing her arms and fixing Daena with a look that could shatter glass.

"She's been working hard," Daena countered, stepping fully into the room and positioning herself slightly in front of me. "Liria has undergone rigorous training sessions every day this week. Surely you can grant her a day to recover?"

Seraphis's golden eyes flickered with annoyance. "Hardly rigorous. The girl has potential, yes, but she's far from reaching her limits. You, of all people, should understand the necessity of discipline."

Daena's tail swished behind her, a subtle but telling sign of her irritation. "Discipline is one thing. Overworking is another. I won't have her collapse from exhaustion because you can't manage your expectations."

My gaze ping-ponged between them like a spectator at a tennis match. The tension in the room was palpable, and I half-expected the air to crackle with lightning at any moment.

"Are you questioning my teaching methods?" Seraphis asked, her tone deceptively calm.

"Not questioning," Daena replied with a small, cutting smile. "Stating."

Seraphis stepped closer, her tall, muscular frame radiating restrained fury. "Careful, Daena. Your personal biases are showing."

"And yours aren't?" Daena shot back, her wings flaring slightly. "You've always had a tendency to push too hard, Seraphis. Not everyone can thrive under your... particular methods."

I blinked, realizing I was witnessing something much deeper than a disagreement about my training schedule. Their words were laced with more than just frustration; there was a history here, one steeped in bitterness and unresolved anger.

"Let me guess," Seraphis said with a mocking edge. "You think I'm taking my frustration out on her because of what happened between us? Don't flatter yourself."

Daena's expression didn't waver, but her voice dipped into a lower, more dangerous register. "This isn't about us. It's about Liria. She needs time to rest, and I'll make sure she gets it."

Before Seraphis could respond, I cleared my throat, feeling increasingly like collateral damage in their war of words. "Um, not to interrupt your... whatever this is, but can I just stay here today? I promise I'll make it up later."

Seraphis turned her fiery gaze on me, and for a moment, I thought she might drag me out of bed anyway. But then she sighed, stepping back. "Fine. Rest today, but don't think this gets you out of training tomorrow."

She turned on her heel, her spear glinting as she marched out of the room. The tension didn't leave with her; it lingered like smoke, thick and suffocating.

Daena's shoulders relaxed slightly, and she turned to me, her expression softening. "Are you alright, child?"

"Peachy," I muttered, flopping back onto the bed. "But thanks for that. I thought she was going to throw me into the training pit."

"She might have," Daena said with a faint smile. "She's always been... relentless."

I sat up slightly, my curiosity outweighing my exhaustion. "Relentless, sure. But it's not just that, is it?"

Daena's violet eyes flickered to mine, a hint of wariness breaking through her usual composure. "What do you mean, child?"

I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light despite the weight of what I was about to say. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the whole betrayal thing? You know, the one Enara mentioned and you confirmed."

Her expression tightened, her jaw clenching just enough for me to notice. "That's a matter long buried, Liria."

"Is it, though?" I pressed, emboldened by the rare opportunity to get under Daena's skin. "Because it doesn't seem like either of you has really moved on. The way you two were going at it just now, I half-expected someone to start throwing punches. Or spears."

Daena's wings twitched slightly, a telltale sign of her irritation. "Seraphis and I have... unresolved issues. But that's none of your concern."

"Maybe not," I said, leaning back against the headboard. "But it's hard to ignore when those 'issues' keep spilling over into my life. Like, I get it love, betrayal, dramatic speeches but could you two not drag me into your soap opera?"

Daena's lips twitched, as though she were suppressing a smile. "You have a remarkable talent for testing my patience, child."

"Must be all the relentless training," I quipped.

She huffed softly, shaking her head. "Rest, Liria. We'll deal with Seraphis and everything else in due time."

As she left, I couldn't help but wonder how much of that "everything else" had to do with me.