"Miss, I am very sorry about this."
Sometimes, life just doesn't go the way you want it to, no matter how powerful you are. This is an unavoidable truth in this world.
Even noble families who have established their status for many years cannot escape this rule.
"Can you fix it?"
At this moment, the girl sitting inside the car is deeply feeling this reality.
The streamlined modern car is parked alone on the side of the road, occasionally making a few weak sputtering sounds.
Irina, with fiery red hair and the impatience characteristic of nobles on her face, frowned at the broken-down car.
"Really, why does this have to happen today of all days," she muttered to herself, wrinkles forming on her forehead, "First the trip was disrupted, and now this."
If it were just one thing, it might be better, but now there are two.
Her driver, Thomas, approached her with an apologetic expression. "Miss Irina, I am deeply sorry for this. The car is currently being repaired urgently."
Irina glared at him, fire burning in her eyes. "Can you fix it now, or should I find someone else to fix it?"
Thomas swallowed nervously. "I will do my best, Miss."
As Thomas disappeared under the hood with an uncertain look, Irina waited patiently, conjuring a small ball of flame in her palm to ward off the cold. "Sigh..." she sighed. She had been suffocated by her mother for the past few days.
'I want to go back to the academy right now.'
Even though it had only been a week, she already missed the free atmosphere of the academy. Hanging out with friends, fighting, sparring… This atmosphere was completely different from the stuffiness she felt at home.
As she thought about the academy, a figure suddenly appeared in her mind.
'That's right... there's also that matter...'
Because she had been busy with her own affairs, she had forgotten about the incident she had reported earlier.
'Trevor Phillips...'
This name was not unfamiliar to her. After Irina reached a certain age, she began to attend high society events in the Valerian Human Federation.
At those banquets, the Phillips name often came up. They occupied an overwhelming position in the Hunter Association and the hunter economy, and were one of the highest-ranking families in human society.
As Irina attended these events, she also met the heirs of these families, and Trevor Phillips was one of them.
'If I remember correctly, he wasn't someone who liked to show off.'
Irina didn't have much contact with him, but she knew he wasn't a bad person.
While many heirs behaved arrogantly and self-importantly, Trevor was not one of them.
'He usually seemed inconspicuous.'
You could say he was the type to be “overshadowed by his siblings’ aura,” Irina recalled.
He was one of the gifted, one of the early awakeners. But compared to his siblings, his talent was slightly lacking. This became clear when he entered Arcadia Hunter Academy last year.
His siblings ranked at the top, while he could only rank in the middle.
And how did Irina know all this?
It was because her mother forced her to do her homework, requiring her to memorize the detailed information of every student before entering the academy.
'But I still don't understand why he would do something like that?'
It was very unusual.
Even if he felt inferior to his siblings, why would he target a junior who had no connection to him and was ranked at the bottom? Irina could understand it somewhat if it were other high-ranking students who posed a threat to him.
But this was too illogical.
'Did something happen between them in the past? Did something happen that I don't know about?'
Questions arose one after another. Uncovering the truth behind this didn't bring satisfaction, but rather more questions.
"Tsk... how annoying," Irina couldn't help but mutter.
"I hate not knowing."
Whenever it came to Trevor Phillips and that incident, more questions always arose.
"I have to ask him clearly when I get back to the academy and see him."
Pfft pfft
Irina was pulled back to reality by the sound of the car engine as she was thinking about the Trevor Phillips issue. The driver looked somewhat dejected and shook his head.
"Miss Irina, I'm afraid this problem is beyond my capabilities. I'm sorry, I've tried my best, but the car still can't be fixed at the moment," he explained, with self-reproach in his voice.
Irina's anger flared up again. "Are you serious? What did you tell my mother?"
The driver hesitated for a moment and replied, "I contacted the Madam and explained the situation. Her reaction was unexpected. She said you should figure out how to solve this problem yourself."
Irina's eyes widened as she said in disbelief, "What? Figure it out myself? Is she kidding me?"
The driver sighed, realizing the seriousness of the situation. "I'm afraid not, Miss. The Madam was very decisive when she said it. She's probably dealing with other more important matters."
Irina clenched her fists, and a sense of frustration rose instantly. "This is ridiculous! How could she leave me here?"
Irina angrily got out of the car and looked around. The unfamiliar environment made her feel helpless.
"How annoying," she muttered to herself, "Why do I have to deal with this kind of trouble..." She wanted to continue complaining, but quickly calmed down.
"But... this is also to be expected."
She understood her mother's personality and knew what kind of person she was.
'She definitely arranged this on purpose.'
When Irina calmed down, she realized that the Phoenix family car, worth millions of Valer, couldn't have just broken down. This must have been arranged, and even the driver was involved.
"I shouldn't be angry."
If it were before, Irina would have lost her temper on the spot, but now, she was surprisingly calm. She didn't even realize that someone was quietly changing her.
She decided to handle this herself and opened her smartwatch. The holographic display lit up, opening the map application. As she zoomed in on the map, carefully examining the unfamiliar surroundings, she determined her location.
"Let's see what I should do," she said softly, her initial frustration gradually turning into determination.
Her eyes scanned the holographic map, noticing a small town and a train station marked not far away. A hint of a cold smile flashed in her eyes.
"Train station."
"Heh..."
At that moment, a plan appeared in her mind, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
"Hey, driver," Irina called out to the driver, her tone surprisingly calm.
The driver turned around, thinking Irina would complain or ask questions again. Unexpectedly, her mouth was showing a hint of a smile, and her eyes were filled with a cunning light.
"I was just thinking," Irina said with a hint of sarcasm, "What a coincidence that the Phoenix family's so distinguished car would suddenly break down. What do you say, how likely is that?"
The driver stammered, his expression changing from confusion to unease. "I assure you, Miss, it's just a mechanical failure, a very common thing. I'll fix it soon."
Irina chuckled and narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Is that so? This is really an accident? Or was it deliberately arranged by someone?"
The driver avoided her gaze, stuttering, "Of course not... Miss. How could anyone arrange such a thing?" He couldn't hide his unease.
"Well... it seems I misunderstood you. But, this cold weather is making me feel annoyed," Irina continued, the smile on her lips becoming more and more obvious with each word.
"Uh..." The driver coughed lightly.
"So, I want to calm myself down. You don't mind, do you?"
Before the words were finished, Irina took the lead. Without waiting for the driver's response, she directly activated her fire magic.
Boom!
In a burst of flames, Irina propelled herself into the air.
"M... Miss..."
The driver stared blankly at the scene before him. The young mistress actually chose such a solution in such a situation. Flames trailed behind her, like a phoenix spreading its wings and soaring.
"Hope you can handle them."
Leaving these words behind, Irina controlled the burst of flames, precisely propelling herself towards the town. Her actions attracted the attention of the surrounding people.
Boom! Boom!
The wind rushed past her, and flames danced around her, her figure blurring. The townspeople witnessed this marvelous spectacle.
When she landed in the town, Irina's flames also extinguished. She landed gracefully, and the onlookers greeted her with looks of surprise and awe.
"Wow..."
"Is she an Awakened?"
"How beautiful..."
Irina patted her clothes, feeling an unprecedented sense of relief. "Okay, problem solved," A victorious smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She felt that she had finally defeated her mother after a long time.
Walking into the train station, Irina confidently walked towards the ticket counter. The ticket clerk was shocked when he saw her, greeting her with curious and admiring eyes.
"Good evening, Madam. What can I do for you?" the ticket clerk asked, adjusting his uniform.
"I need a train ticket to the capital, Arcadia. About what time can I depart?"
The ticket clerk checked the schedule, and suddenly heard the sound of a train entering the station in the distance.
"The train to Arcadia will be arriving soon," the ticket clerk said, with a hint of urgency in his voice. "You have to hurry, it's the last train of the day."
Irina's eyes flashed with surprise when she heard this news. Without wasting any time, she hurriedly bought the ticket. "Have a pleasant journey," the ticket clerk nodded politely, handing her the ticket.
After receiving the ticket, Irina quickly walked to the platform. As the sound of the train entering the station grew closer, the station's broadcast echoed in the air.
"The train to Arcadia is arriving at platform 3. All passengers, please board the train quickly!"
With the announcement, Irina arrived at the platform in time, seeing the train stopped there and the doors beginning to close. The ticket inspector at the entrance signaled her to hurry.
Irina sprinted the last few meters, the train's horn seemingly urging her to board the train quickly.
With a final burst of speed, she rushed into the car before the doors closed. The announcement bell rang, and the train was about to depart.
"Thank you for choosing Valerian Railways. We wish you a pleasant journey to Arcadia."
As Irina sat down, panting, the conductor in a neat uniform walked over. The hum of the train and the clatter of the rails indicated that the train was departing.
"Please show your ticket," the conductor said, extending his hand to Irina.
Irina, proud of her independence, handed the ticket to the conductor. The conductor carefully checked the ticket, then walked next to her and said politely:
"I'm sorry, Madam, there seems to be some misunderstanding. Your seat is seat number 12 in car C. Would you please move to the designated location?"
Irina frowned in confusion, completely unaware of the meaning of assigned seats on the train. "Why does it have to be a designated seat? I thought you could sit anywhere."
The conductor explained, "Train tickets usually have designated seats, which helps to ensure a smooth and orderly boarding process, while also managing passenger flow and maintaining order. Please move to your designated seat, Madam."
Irina suddenly felt a burst of embarrassment as the surrounding passengers exchanged glances. She nodded, realizing her mistake. "Sorry, I apologize for the inconvenience I've caused. I'll go right away."
Just as she moved to seat number 12 in car C, a look of surprise suddenly flashed in her eyes.
"Hmm?"
The person she had been thinking about just now was sitting in the seat opposite her, his eyes locked on her.
"You..."
