I am not the Villainess

Chapter 82

CHAPTER 82

Tatiana plucked out some grass and fed it to Jane and Alexander. She had never had a pet before, but she had always wanted one. As such, she thought it was fun feeding the horses.

On the other hand, Noah was leaning against the tree, observing Tatiana. It was unusual to see her feed the horses with bare hands, but it was a sight he enjoyed seeing.

I guess it was a great decision to give her a horse.

He never thought such a day would come. A day he would see the real Tatiana.

Thinking back, he could only remember one time when he saw a different side of Tatiana. But it was when they were still young.

Noah was destined to be the next emperor from the time he was born. Because of that, he didn’t really have a great and fun childhood like other children his age. Everyone expected him to be the best at everything. They wanted him to be perfect because a single flaw would make him unworthy of his title. As a result, he was forced to become mature and responsible at a young age. He learned that having a weakness would make him incompetent and undeserving. He learned that emotions are useless when running an empire. As such, Noah grew up cold and indifferent.

He usually doesn’t care about the people around him, including Tatiana. He doesn’t like wasting time on other things aside from training and studying. That’s why he never had that many friends since he was a child.

However, since Tatiana would always follow him around and clung to him, Noah noticed her more. Noah didn’t really see her as an annoying child, but instead a girl who simply loves attention. Of course, as they grew older, he began to find her bothersome, but it wasn’t to the point that he hated her.

Anyways, a big banquet was thrown at the palace during Noah's 12th birthday, as it was also that time that Noah officially became the Crown Prince of the empire. Because Noah had to meet and speak with numerous nobles as part of his responsibilities, he was exhausted even before the banquet was over.

Noah decided to escape his duties and hide in the Palace garden that night. He only wanted to get some fresh air for a bit, but his plans changed when he saw a young girl crying. That girl was no other than Tatiana.

It wasn’t the first time Noah saw Tatiana cry. She was a spoiled brat, so she would usually throw tantrums whenever Tatiana didn’t get what she wanted. However, that night was different. Tatiana wasn't throwing a tantrum. She was alone and was crying very quietly.

.

"Your highness, I want you to meet Duke Jonathan Lankinson from the North. He's my cousin, so that makes him your uncle too." The emperor said quite happily.

Noah looked at the man. He looked quite like his father with his black hair and blue eyes. However, the man was a bit younger than the emperor.

"Nice to meet you, your grace." Noah greeted, his voice sounded cold.

Duke Lankinson smirked at Noah's indifferent greeting.

"The pleasure is mine. Ah, you should just call me Uncle Jonathan, your highness. I am, after all, your uncle." Duke Lankinson said.

Noah only nodded his head and didn't say anything further, making the duke feel a bit awkward.

'This kid sure is cold as ice.'

Following the proper etiquette, what Noah did was considered rude. However, since Noah was the Crown Prince and thus have a higher status, Duke Lankinson couldn't really punish Noah for his actions. As such, he could only try to intimidate Noah by glaring down at him.

Meanwhile, the emperor noticed the change of atmosphere. It was clear that Duke Lankinson was offended by Noah's cold response, but he knows his son too well. Noah is not someone who would easily get intimidated. Besides, the emperor figured that Noah was probably too tired from all the mingling that he was starting to act childish by being rude to Duke Lankinson.

'Still, no matter how tired and annoyed he is, he shouldn't be acting like this in front of the duke.' the emperor thought and gave Noah an 'I'll-talk-to-you-later' look.

In an attempt to ease the tension, the emperor cleared his throat and forced a laugh.

"Ah! Cousin, how about we talk over there and meet some of our old friends." The emperor said, changing the topic.

Duke Lankinson nodded, while still eyeing Noah, and followed the emperor. Noah, on the other hand, bowed his head as they left.

Noah sighed.

'This is exhausting.' He thought.

When Noah saw from his peripheral vision that another group of nobles was approaching him, he didn't think twice and walked away. He already had enough of socializing tonight. He knows it's part of his responsibilities as the Crown Prince, but he was already tired, and it was like there was no end to it.

Noah decided to go to the Palace garden to get some fresh air. He sat on a bench and looked up. It was already late at night, so the moon was already high up in the sky, shining very brightly. Also, the sky was so clear that he could see so many stars twinkling.

Noah took a deep breath.

'This is so much better.' He thought to himself.

Noah continued enjoying the beautiful night sky and the cold breeze when he suddenly heard a noise.

He looked around, trying to find where the sound was coming from. He couldn't find anyone no matter how much he looked, so He assumed it was only his imagination. However, he heard it again, and, this time, it was a bit louder.

'What was that?'

Noah stood up and walked towards where he heard the sound. He made sure his steps were light and that he was hiding his presence, so whoever made that sound wouldn't know he was there.

Then, when he reached the pond, he saw a silhouette of someone sitting near it.

It took him a moment to realize that it was a girl--to be specific, it was that bothersome girl who kept on following him around.

'Lady Tatiana? What was she doing here?' Noah thought to himself.

He walked a bit closer, but then he heard that sound again. He stopped in his tracks when he realized that Lady Tatiana was...crying. The sound that he heard was her sobbing.

'Why is she crying?'

Noah was debating whether he should approach her or not. He never really cared for her, but she was also not a stranger.

He did think it would be rude of him to just walk away after seeing a girl cry. But he also figured Tatiana would probably feel embarrassed if she knew he saw her crying. Besides, considering how she's hiding in this kind of place, she looked like she really doesn't want to be seen.

In the end, Noah decided to stay hidden and observe her from afar. He quietly sat on the ground and listened to Tatiana's silent cries.

It wasn't the first time Noah saw Tatiana cry, but it was the first time he saw her cry like that. Before, she would throw tantrums and whine like a little child. But now, she was weeping so sadly.

At that moment, Noah thought she looked...pitiful.

.

Tatiana was only 10 years old at that time. Aside from that, Noah had always thought Tatiana had never experienced hardships. Her family loved her dearly that everything she wanted was given to her in a snap. Also, from what he can see, Tatiana was a typical brat who only cared for herself. That’s why Noah wondered what made her cry so painfully.

Anyhow, that night was the first time Noah saw a different side of Tatiana. And it was also that night that made his impression of Tatiana change. Since then, he has been convinced that Tatiana was not the horrible person that everyone portrays her to be.

“Your highness,” Tatiana suddenly called, bringing Noah back to reality. She wasn't even looking at him and was still feeding the horses, but her tone sounded serious.

“Hmm?”

Tatiana turned to look at him with eyes that made Noah stand properly from leaning against the tree. For some reason, Noah felt nervous about what she was going to say.

Tatiana, on the other hand, was a little reluctant. She was nervous as well, but she had been wanting to ask this question since that night.

Tatiana took a deep breath.

“Why did you ask me out on a date?” she asked.

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