Transmigrated into a villain, I personally tore apart the shackles of fate.

Chapter 160 An Encounter

"Miss, I'm very sorry about this."

Sometimes, life doesn't go the way you want it to, no matter how powerful you are. This is an unavoidable truth of the world.

Even aristocratic families that had established their status many years ago could not escape this rule.

Can you fix it?

At this moment, the girl sitting in the car is deeply experiencing this reality.

The sleek Hyundai car sat forlornly on the side of the road, occasionally emitting a few weak thuds.

Irina, with fiery red hair and an impatient expression typical of aristocrats, frowned as she stared at the broken-down car.

"Honestly, of all days, this has to happen today," she muttered to herself, wrinkles forming on her forehead. "First, my 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 apologetically. "Miss Irina, I'm very sorry about this. The car is currently being repaired."

Irina glared at him, her eyes burning with anger. "Can you fix it now, or do I have to find someone else to fix it?"

Thomas swallowed nervously. "I will do my best, Miss."

As Thomas climbed under the hood with an uncertain look on his face, Irina waited patiently, while conjuring a small flame in her palm to ward off the cold. "Sigh..." she sighed. The past few days had been almost suffocating under her mother's pressure.

'I want to go back to the academy right now.'

Even though only a week had passed, she was already missing the free atmosphere of the academy. Hanging out with friends, fighting, sparring... this atmosphere was completely different from the dullness she felt at home.

As she was thinking about the academy, a figure suddenly appeared in her mind.

'Oh right... there's that thing...'

Because she was busy with her own things, she forgot about the matter she had reported earlier.

'Trevor Phillips…'

The name was not unfamiliar to her. After Irina reached a certain age, she began to participate in the high society activities of the Valerian Human Federation.

The Phillips name frequently appears at those banquets; they hold an overwhelming position in the Hunter's Guild and the Hunter Economy, and are among the highest-ranking families in human society.

As Irina attended these events, she also got to know the heirs of these families, one of whom was Trevor Phillips.

'If I remember correctly, he wasn't a show-off.'

Irina didn't have much contact with him, but she knew he wasn't a bad person.

While many heirs behave arrogantly, Trevor is not one of them.

He usually looks unremarkable.

You could say he was the kind of person who was "overshadowed by the glory of his siblings," Irina recalled.

He is a gifted individual, one of the early Awakeners. However, compared to his siblings, his talent is slightly less. This was evident when he entered the Arcadia Hunter Academy last year.

His siblings were ranked higher, while he was only ranked in the middle.

How did Irina find out about all this?

It was because her mother forced her to do her homework and required her to memorize the detailed information of every student before entering the academy.

'But I still don't understand why he would do such a thing?'

This is very unusual.

Even if he felt inferior to his siblings, why would he target a junior who was completely unrelated to him and ranked at the bottom? Irina could understand it somewhat if it were another high-ranking student who posed a threat to him.

But this is highly illogical.

What happened to them in the past? Was there something I don't know about?

One problem after another emerged. Unveiling the truth behind it brought no satisfaction, but rather more problems.

"Ugh...so annoying," Irina muttered under her breath.

"I hate the feeling of not knowing."

Whenever Trevor Phillips and that matter come up, there are always more questions.

"I must ask him for an explanation when I get back to the academy."

噗噗

Irina was lost in thought about Trevor Phillips when the sound of a car engine suddenly pulled her back to reality. The driver looked somewhat frustrated and shook his head.

“Miss Irina, I’m afraid this problem is beyond my capabilities. I’m sorry, I’ve done my best, but the car still can’t be repaired at the moment,” he explained, his voice filled with self-reproach.

Irina's anger erupted again. "Are you serious? What did you say to my mother?"

The driver hesitated for a moment before replying, "I contacted your wife and explained the situation. She was surprised and said you should find a solution yourself."

Irina's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Figure it out yourself? Is she kidding?"

The driver sighed, realizing the seriousness of the situation. "I'm afraid not, Miss. Madam spoke very decisively; perhaps she is dealing with other more important matters."

Irina clenched her fists, a wave of frustration washing over her. "This is ridiculous! How could she possibly leave me here?"

Irina angrily stepped out of the car and looked around. The unfamiliar surroundings 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.

"However... this was to be expected."

She understood her mother's personality and knew what kind of person she was.

'She definitely did it on purpose.'

Once Irina calmed down, she realized that it couldn't have been a coincidence that the Phoenix family car, worth millions of watts, broke down. It must have been all staged, and even the driver was involved.

I shouldn't be angry.

In the past, Irina would have exploded on the spot, but now, she was surprisingly calm. She didn't even realize that someone was subtly changing her.

She decided to handle the situation herself and turned on her smartwatch. The holographic display lit up, and the map app opened. As she zoomed in on the map, carefully examining the unfamiliar surroundings, she determined her location.

"Let's see what I should do," she whispered, her initial frustration gradually turning into determination.

Her gaze swept across the holographic map, noticing a marker for a small town and a train station in the distance. A cold smile flashed in her eyes.

"TRAIN STATION."

"Ah……"

Just then, a plan popped into 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, expecting Irina to complain or ask questions again, but to his surprise, she had a smile on her lips and a sly glint in her eyes.

“I was just thinking,” Irina said with a hint of sarcasm, “that such a prestigious car from the Phoenix family would suddenly break down is quite a coincidence. What do you think the odds are?”

The driver stammered, his expression shifting from confusion to unease. "I assure you, miss, it's just a mechanical malfunction, a very common thing, I'll fix it soon."

Irina chuckled softly, narrowing her eyes. "Oh? Is that so? This really was an accident, or someone deliberately orchestrated it?"

The driver avoided her gaze and stammered, "Of course not... Miss. How could someone possibly arrange something like this?" He couldn't hide his unease.

“Okay…it seems I misunderstood you. But, this cold weather is making me very irritable,” Irina continued, her smile growing wider with each word.

"Uh..." the driver coughed lightly.

"So, I want to calm myself down. You don't mind, do you?"

Before she could finish speaking, Irina spoke first. Without waiting for the driver's response, she activated her fire magic.

boom!

In a burst of flames, Irina propelled herself into the air.

"Little...Miss..."

The driver stared in disbelief at the scene before him. His young mistress had chosen such a solution in this situation. Flames trailed behind her, like a phoenix spreading its wings.

"I hope you can handle them."

Leaving those words behind, Irina controlled the eruption of flames, precisely propelling herself towards the town. Her actions attracted the attention of those around her.

Boom! Boom!

The wind howled past her, flames danced around her, and her figure blurred as the townspeople witnessed this wondrous sight.

As she landed in the town, Irina's flames went out. She landed gracefully, and the onlookers who greeted her looked on with surprise and awe.

"Wow……"

Is she an Awakened One?

"So beautiful..."

Irina dusted herself off, feeling an unprecedented sense of relief. "Alright, problem solved." A victorious smile appeared on her lips. She felt that, after a long time, she had finally triumphed over her mother.

Entering the train station, Irina confidently walked towards the ticket counter. The ticket seller was shocked to see her and greeted her with a look of curiosity and admiration.

"Good evening, ma'am. How can I help you?" the ticket seller asked, straightening her uniform.

"I need a train ticket to the capital, Arcadia. When can I expect to depart?"

The ticket seller was checking the timetable when she suddenly heard the sound of a train arriving at the station in the distance.

“The train to Arcadia is almost here,” the ticket seller said, with a hint of urgency in his voice. “You’d better hurry, this is the last train of the day.”

Upon hearing the news, Irina's eyes flashed with surprise. Without wasting any time, she hurriedly bought a ticket. "Have a pleasant journey," the ticket seller nodded politely and handed her the ticket.

After getting her ticket, Irina hurried to the platform. As the sound of the train approaching grew closer, the station's announcements echoed in the air.

"The train bound for Arcadia is about to arrive at platform 3. All passengers, please board the train as soon as possible!"

As the announcement came over the loudspeaker, Irina arrived at the platform just in time and saw the train stopped there. The doors were beginning to close, and the ticket inspector at the entrance gestured for her to hurry up.

Irina sprinted the last few meters, the train's horn seeming to urge her to get on.

With a final burst of speed, she rushed into the carriage before the doors closed. The announcement bell rang; the train was about to depart.

"Thank you for choosing the Valerian Railway. We wish you a pleasant journey to Arcadia."

As Irina sat down, panting, the train conductor, dressed in a neat uniform, approached. The hum of the train and the clatter of the rails indicated that the train was departing.

"Please show your ticket," the train conductor said, extending his hand to Irina.

Irina, proud of her independence, handed her ticket to the train conductor. The conductor carefully examined the ticket, then walked over to her and politely said:

"Excuse me, ma'am, there seems to be some misunderstanding. Your seat is seat number 12 in carriage C. Would you please move to the designated seat?"

Irina frowned in confusion, completely bewildered by the idea of ​​assigned seats on the train. "Why do I need assigned seats? I thought I could sit anywhere."

The train conductor explained, “Train tickets usually assign seats, which helps ensure a smooth and orderly boarding process, as well as manage passenger flow and maintain order. Please move to your assigned seat, ma’am.”

Irina suddenly felt embarrassed, and the surrounding passengers exchanged glances. She nodded, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry, I apologize for the inconvenience I've caused. I'll go right away."

Just as she moved to seat number 12 in carriage C, a look of surprise suddenly flashed in her eyes.

"Ok?"

The person who was just thinking was now sitting opposite her, his gaze fixed on her.

"you……"