Time for the Villainess

Chapter 7

Imperia chuckled, not believing what was being said:

"For hurting me? I have been very patient with you, Diamanda. However, I do not like liars.

-I am not lying! I swear! Ask anyone! I got sentenced to life in prison for bullying you."

Imperia hummed before turning to someone:

"Could you bring us some tea and biscuits? I feel that this will take longer than expected."

She then turned back to Diamanda:

"Tell us about that trial."

Diamanda pinched her lips and glanced at Leora. Seeing her do so made Imperia smile:

"Don't worry, she is not the judge anymore. The one you have to convince is me now."

Diamanda immediately got back some confidence and straightened up:

"A week after you ran away, knights broke into my residence and took me away. I didn't know what I did for a month. They just threw me in a cell and left me tere without any explanation.

-Oh... Sweety, that must have been hard for you.

-It was! I couldn't meet my family or friends and the food was very bad."

Imperia pinched her lips, holding back a laugh:

"Sorry, go on.

-When they came for me they immediately took me to this room and forced me to kneel in front of everyone. They told me that I was being judged for disrespecting a member of the royal family in front of everyone and they didn't even give me time to explain myself.

-What would you have said if you could defend yourself?"

Diamanda froze, feeling that she made a mistake. How could she get out of this one?

"I have no excuse, Your Majesty. I did horrible things and I am not proud of my past. I promise that I will never do it again.

-There is one thing I don't understand... Why did you get imprisoned? How could this happen?"

Imperia turned to Leora with an evil smile:

"You said it yourself back then: you don't have time for my tantrums."

Leora tried saying something but Imperia was already turning back to Diamanda:

"Who sentenced you?

-Queen Shadowend."

Diamanda got hit in the knees and immediately collapsed. She looked up with wide eyes having no idea what happened but soon the blond man next to Imperia came to the rescue:

"There is only one Queen now! Queen Imperia."

Hearing her friend get mad on her behalf made Imperia laugh:

"You are so cute."

The man turned really red in a second:

"I am not cute!"

Imperia looked away with a smirk:

"Of course not."

The man coughed, his mouth hidden behind his hand:

"Stop teasing me in front of everyone. Focus on your job."

Imperia laughed before putting her elbows on her legs and laying her head in her hands.

"So, Diamanda. What should I do with you? I feel like I already took revenge on you back then and you spent the last six years in a cell. All of this sounds pretty fair to me."

Imperia touched her chin as if thinking about something. She then grabbed her tea cup and threw it towards Diamanda, spilling its content on the latter. Diamanda couldn't hold back her scream and hearing her made Imperia smile:

"There you go. We are even. You can go now."

Diamanda didn't move because of fear paralyzing her feet and Imperia had to repeat herself:

"Leave."

Hearing the order, Diamanda immediately ran away. She did fall a few times on her way out but all in all made it out in one piece. Imperia's people laughed in front of this show and as soon as Diamanda was gone, the blond man crossed his arms on his chest:

"You were too nice."

Imperia chuckled:

"Too nice? That's something I've never been called."

She didn't lose her smile once and turned to the person who had been standing next to Diamanda:

"Who's next? Oh, it's you dear nanny. You were a huge bully back then but I didn't think that you would survive until now. How old are you?"

The woman in question was rather tall for her age. She had gray hair and rectangular glasses. She was standing straight and was looking right at Imperia, not intimidated in the slightest.

"You look great, Nanny! I am sure that you look way younger than your real age. It seems you have been treated well here. Then where did all that anger towards me come from? Usually people bully others because they are being bullied themselves. But you look fine. Or are you just great at masking it?"

The nanny didn't answer which made the man next to Imperia mad:

"Answer when you Queen is talking!

-It's okay, let her be. I am having a great time.

-But she is looking down on you!"

Imperia massaged her forehead with a frown:

"Not so loud, Adoranz. My head is going to explode if you continue yelling in my ear.

-Oh, I am so sorry. Maybe you would feel better if you didn't drink that last bottle."

Imperia rolled her eyes:

"Who are you? My mom? Need I remind you how she ended up?

-I am just saying that some people don't know when to stop.

-I could drink way more than that.

-Sure.

-You don't look convinced. Do you want to see it right now?

-Stop talking about drinking."

Adoranz touched his stomach with a grimace which made Imperia laugh:

"You were the one who started.

-I can't believe you are so lively even after five days of partying."

Imperia shrugged:

"What can I say? I am young and healthy. Speaking of which, Nanny knows how healthy I am because despite her giving me wet branches to heat my room and cutting holes in all my clothes, I didn't get sick. Not once! She should see what it feels like to sleep outside. Make her live outside for a month. If she survives, bring her back to me."

As soon as she nodded, the Nanny got escorted out and Imperia waved to her with a smile:

"I am doing this for your own good, Nanny. I heard that the fresh air is very good for the lungs. You will thank me later."

The next on the list were three women dressed as maids. They looked a bit less scared than Diamanda but way more scared than the Nanny. Seeing them, Imperia turned back to her people with a smile:

"Guys! How did you find the maids? You are so good! I only talked about them once."

Adoranz straightened up with a smirk:

"I am somewhat incredible."

But he got punched in the side by another bandit:

"Don't act as if you were the only one behind it."

Imperia laughed before turning back to the girls:

"These maids had a hobby for cooking. They loved giving me interesting creations such as soups filled with glass, rotten bread or muddy cake. They were such creative souls."

Hearing her praises, the three women fell to the ground, shaken by tears:

"Please...

-Please have mercy.

-We are so sorry."

Imperia laughed:

"Why are you crying? I just complimented you.

-We did something horrible and we are so sorry."

Imperia rolled her eyes:

"I am starting to get bored. Nanny was way more fun than you."

She sighed:

"What should I do with you guys? I feel bad that you could never taste your own creations. Boys, these girls look a bit hungry don't they?"

The bandits quickly nodded and took the maids away with shining eyes.