I Killed The Main Characters

Chapter 135: First Period [3]

As the bus rattled down the main road toward the academy, I found myself glancing out the window, seeing my reflection in the glass.

A face I'd grown accustomed to, but still one that didn't belong to me.

'Noah Ashbourne.'

I thought with a bitter twist of irony.

The image staring back at me was of the Academy's spoiled noble, notorious for his cruelty and selfish whims.

And yet, for all his arrogance and self-righteousness, Noah had been nothing but a puppet to the whims of his family and his own bottomless pride.

Now, somehow, I was the one pulling the strings.

I adjusted myself, sitting up straighter and forcing down the unease gnawing at my stomach.

If I had to keep up this act—if I was going to play the part of Noah Ashbourne without suspicion—I needed to stay in character.

If the academy caught a single whiff that I was anything other than the vile figure they all expected, they'd piece things together, and fast.

Possessions and body-swaps weren't exactly unheard of in the world of magic.

But that was the last thing I wanted.

To be found out.

Suddenly, my mind shot back to a day before and the reason why I was taking the bus today.

The memory hitting me like a blast of frigid wind.

---

Noah was sitting in the back seat of the usual gilded carriage, watching the familiar road stretching out toward the Dormitories.

It had been a stormy day, rain lashing down as if the heavens themselves were furious.

The driver had stumbled over the road, nearly tossing him against the side of the carriage several times.

Noah tried tried to steady myself, gripping the plush cushions, but each lurch felt more violent than the last.

His patience was razor-thin.

The carriage skidded again, swerving dangerously close to a muddy ditch, and he lost it.

He lurched forward, banging his fist on the partition that separated him from the driver.

"Stop this thing at once!"

He shouted, voice sharp and slicing through the thunderous storm.

The carriage jerked to a halt, throwing him forward.

Rain pounded against the roof as he climbed out, meeting the driver face-to-face.

He looked at him with wide, apologetic eyes, his hands trembling.

"My lord..."

He stammered, his voice barely carrying over the wind.

"I-I apologize for the inconvenience, it was the storm, I didn't mean—"

"Inconvenience?"

Noah's voice was dangerously low, each word cutting like a blade.

"Inconvenience? You call putting my life at risk an 'inconvenience'?"

The man bowed his head, water streaming from his hair and beard as he murmured.

"I'm so sorry, Lord Noah.

I—I promise it won't happen again.

The road was just slippery, and I—I didn't mean to—"

"Didn't mean to?"

Noah scoffed, every ounce of disgust he could muster pouring into his voice.

"You didn't mean to nearly hurl me into the mud like some sack of garbage?

If you're so incapable of doing something as simple as driving, then you don't deserve this carriage at all."

He looked up at Noah, eyes wide with a dawning horror.

"P-Please, my lord, I've worked for the Ashbourne family for years—this carriage is all I have to my name, my only way to make a living."

"Your 'only way'?"

Noah sneered.

"Then consider it a lesson in humility.

If you can't handle this carriage, you don't deserve to keep it.

Destroy it."

The words were out before he even thought them through, the venom in his voice sharper than any sword.

The driver blinked, his face falling, mouth opening and closing as if he couldn't quite process what Noah said.

"M-my lord?"

His voice trembled.

"Surely… surely you don't mean that…"

"Oh, I mean it."

Noah said, and an ugly thrill filled him at the fear in his eyes.

He crossed his arms, tilting his head with a dark smile.

"Destroy it. You're done with it."

There was a flash of pure despair in his eyes, his hands clenching at his sides.

His face fell as he processed the finality of my words.

The man turned and walked, almost in a daze, to the back of the carriage, pulling out a large sledgehammer that was meant to fix the carriage wheels.

His hands trembled around the handle as he turned back to Noah, his eyes meeting his in a silent, hopeless plea.

But Noah only smirked, enjoying the cruelty that felt like second nature.

With one last, broken sigh, he raised the hammer and brought it down on the carriage with a sickening crunch.

Wood splintered, gold paint chipped, and the sound echoed through the rain-soaked evening.

Each strike seemed to take a piece of his dignity with it, as if he were breaking a part of himself with every swing.

He murmured apologies between gasps for breath, barely audible over the thunder and the relentless thud of wood giving way beneath the sledgehammer.

By the time he was done, the carriage was in shambles, the last remnants of his livelihood lying broken at his feet.

Noah walked up to him, feeling the icy rain trickling down his skin, indifferent to his anguish.

He knelt before Noah, as if the weight of what he'd done had finally broken him completely.

Noah reached out, grabbing a fistful of his wet hair, forcing his head up to meet his eyes.

His beard was matted with rain, his face etched with lines of grief and humiliation.

"Repeat after me."

Noahsnarled, his grip tightening.

"I will never put Lord Noah's life in danger again with my careless, worthless driving."

He swallowed hard, the words choked and weak as he repeated after him.

"I-I will never put Lord Noah's life in danger again with my careless, worthless driving."

"Good."

Noah said, releasing him with a shove.

"Consider this a gift.

I let you keep your horse.

Continue your story on mvl

Don't make me regret it."

---

Now, sitting on this bus, a sour taste coated my tongue at the memory of that incident.

The original Noah Ashbourne had been a bastard through and through, capable of cruelty most people would never dream of.

How many lives had he ruined with that entitled attitude, that sense of superiority?

It was sickening to think of the people he'd trampled on, and now I was supposed to fill his shoes, keep up the act as though nothing had changed.

"Bastard..."

I muttered under my breath as the bus came to a slow, creaking stop at the Tuition Cube.

"A heartless bastard with no remorse..."

But what choice did I have?

I was him now, whether I liked it or not.

Until I figured out what to do next, the best I could manage was to act the part, follow the routine, and keep people from prying too close.

I filed out with the rest of the students, hanging back until I was the last to leave.

I glanced around, my eyes sweeping over the sprawling grounds, teeming with students rushing to classes or meeting up with friends.

But one face was conspicuously missing—Maya's.

'Smart girl.'

I thought with a faint smirk.

She'd probably bolted off the bus and made her way to class as fast as possible to avoid crossing paths with me.

I couldn't blame her, honestly.

If anyone had a reason to loathe me, it was her.

'No,' I corrected myself.

'Loathe Noah.'

After all, that's what he'd earned for himself, piece by rotten piece.

As I started down the path to the main building, the weight of the situation settled back onto my shoulders.

The original Noah might not have a carriage anymore, but if I was going to keep up appearances, I needed another one soon.

There was only so long I could take the bus before people started asking questions.

Yet, without financial support from the Ashbournes, that was just another burden I'd have to figure out on my own.

Every step in Noah's shoes only reminded me of how many layers of trouble he'd left behind.

I adjusted my coat and scanned the area one more time for any sign of Maya.

Nowhere in sight.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

As useful as she could be in some circumstances, she'd be just as likely to try to kill me if she thought she could get away with it.

She had every right to hate Noah, and even though it wasn't my doing, I couldn't blame her for the thoughts I imagined were running through her head whenever she looked at me.

'I need to be alert,' I reminded myself.

Maya was far from the only one with a grudge against Noah.

With so many enemies waiting for the slightest opportunity, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to make a move.

I needed an advantage—something like [Killing Intent Detection], an ability that would help me detect when someone was actively plotting harm against me.

Of course, I needed more False Evil Points to unlock something of that caliber, and right now, that was a resource I didn't have nearly enough of.

But I'd find a way.

Staying one step ahead was my only option.

I made my way through the crowded courtyard, head held high, slipping seamlessly into the persona of the haughty noble everyone expected.

There were many eyes on me, but I kept my expression unreadable, giving nothing away.

I'd have to keep up this charade for as long as it took to make my next move.

After all, I was Noah Ashbourne now, for better or worse.

And in a world where my survival depended on playing my cards right, I'd play whatever hand I was dealt.