The Uncommon Villainess

Chapter 21

I had another two years to complete the college and now new semester just began. Surprisingly this year third and fourth year student will be paired with second and first year student to form study group and complete assignments. This was a new course introduced by the college and my partner was unsurprisingly the female lead, Willa Fluke.

I just sighed heavily at the list names and stared blankly towards the professor. Never once in the novel mentioned about this kind of pairing that it baffled me. I was trying so hard to not get cross with the female but it couldn't be helped then, I just need to go through with it.

The new course required us to complete three hours mandatory study session every week and we will be evaluated in some kind of tests that determined if it could contributed to our grades. From the professor's explanation, I understood that the college wanted us to maintain the magnificent grades that the college had for decades, but it was really unnecessary for me. I learnt better alone than in pairs but this course was a core subject so I couldn't dropped it.

If they really want to improve students' grades, then pair us with the same year... If you look closely only the first and second year students get most benefits from this. They just want third and fourth year students to be free tutors. 

       "Now I want you all to move to great hall and find your respective partners. When you find your own partners, report to the allocated professors and instructions will be given later."

I heard loud dissatisfying noises from around me. My classmates slowly walked out of the classroom and went to the great hall. You could see all the senior students took their steps as slowly as they could. When I arrived at the great hall, it had been occupied with junior students and they started to move when all the senior students arrived there.

I slowly searched for a lone corner and quietly waited there, waiting for my partner. But contrary to my expectation, no one came even after 10 minutes standing there. 

What happened? Do I need to search for her?

I was about to moved my feet when I heard sobbing voice behind me. I turned around to see several students comforting a crying girl while glaring at me. I look closely at the one who was crying and it was Willa Fluke. She was crying pitifully. 

Ohhh Great! Now what??

The deafening noises from students slowly quieted down as they faced my direction. Endless whispering replaced the noisy chatters earlier. 

       "Lady Ava, I know you're not fond with people like us, but must you bullied this pitiful girl?"

      "Yes!!! She already unlucky to get paired with you and you added bullying into that."

Brainless humans.

I tried really hard to resist from rolling my eyes. What I did was staring at them without saying any word. Seeing that they slowly took a step behind and whispering getting louder at that moment.

      "Oh my, what a terrifying aura. She truly an evil."

      "That girl must be scared so much that she hasn't stopped crying until now. I pity her."

I faced that small circle of people and took three steps ahead. I looked closely at the students and found that they were close friends of female lead. One of them was the one who bluntly spat at my face about my distant relationship with the prince.

       "I'm sorry but what did I do to make her crying? Please enlighten me."

       "You... you... are so shameless. You dare bullying others and you want the victim to tell you what you did?"

      "Tell her Willa what she did to you."

That bold girl shook the female lead's shoulders for her to announce my bad deeds. The female lead slowly shook her head and big tear drops could be seen on her face. Such pitiful state evoked protectiveness from others. It was female halo after all.

       "She so traumatise by the evil until she can't say a word. What a bad person." I didn't know who said that but it was clearly for everyone to hear it.

       "I'm... I'm sorry... Lady Ava. I... didn't mean.. to offend you.. I.. I'm sorry." At last the said victim gave out her voice. Her voice sounded so meek that it disgusted me. 

Why the female lead behave like this?

Before I could open my mouth, a fifties year old female professor stood between us. 

       "What happened here? Didn't we instructed you to find your own partner. While you crowding here?"

       "Professor, please give a justice for Willa. Lady Ava didn't agreed with Willa being her partner and bullied her." 

Hearing those words the professor turned to face me.

       "Is that true my Lady?"

      "False from my side, not them."

She thought for a while and said sentences that made the situation worst.

     "Well, Lady Ava is not guilty then. It must be a misunderstanding. You will be paired with different partners and the college will informed you later. Now dismissed."

The moment those words slipped from her mouth I knew people will saw me as a Lady that bullied someone but still didn't get punished because of my family. 

*******

When I returned home, the whole family waited for me. The grim face of my father told me that he knew about the incident.

       "Is it true Ava?"

The moment I stood in front of him, father questioned me. 

       "Dear!" My mother anxiously grabbed my father's hand.

       "Is not true. I'm not bullying anyone. All I did was standing and waiting quietly at a corner and suddenly it happened."

      "Then why that student crying and insisted you bullying her?"

       "I don't know father. Why she's crying and repeatedly saying that I'm bullying her was something I unheard for."

       "Dear, Ava said that she didn't do it. Believe our daughter." My father pleaded on my behalf. It pained me to see my family doubted me but they were.

        "Ok, father believe you but be careful in future."

        "Thank you father. Don't worry, I will."

After that I wanted to take my leave but father was faster. 

       "Ava, I'm not mad at you. I'm clarifying with you. Whatever it is I always believe you."

      "I understand father. I will not keep it in my heart. But father, what do we do if the college do discrimination on students' status?"

       "What do you mean?"

       "Earlier I was dismissed without any investigation and none sort of punishment was given to me. It's true I didn't do anything harmful to that girl but think from another side. What if the girl truly get harmed but the perpetrator was freed just because his or her family get higher status in society. What do you think father?"

I truly hope father got my words. It was truly sickening to see that power and status were above the law even in this world. If this continued, the name of House of Forest will get tarnished and I didn't want to see this. To save my family from any defamation, this will need to be corrected first.