The Villainess was Loved

Chapter Forty-One: So I Lied…

The palace glittered into view from the open carriage door.

The coachman held open a yellow umbrella as I made my way down the wet pavements.

The drizzle was warm; summer in central was often dressed in warm and impromptu showers.

Still, despite it affecting the glamour of my outfit, I love rain.

I wore a silver dress that clung viciously to my curves, paired with silver shoes and a silver pin that tied my hair up.

The shawl on my shoulder was white and fluffy and…enough to shield my skin from strong winds.

Breca and Kat insisted that I looked beautiful in it; I should not change in favour of more bright and vibrant summer dresses.

‘I should have changed.’

Honestly, I feel like I resemble the snow in winter rather than the brilliant bright summer.

The steps leading to the palace were filled with women in brightly coloure-

“Is that her?”

“I can’t believe she came here?”

“Whoever heard of a noble adventurer?”

“Hah! must be why she was denounced.”

“First, p**********n, then this? How low did she intend to drag her family?”

“I bet you, she’s seething in jealousy.”

‘Ah…Central, you never disappoint.’

The chatter seemed to only grow louder; perhaps I shouldn’t have admired their dresses.

“Pay them no mind, Ma’am.”

“Hah! Thank you, Richie. Just for that, I’ll pay you extra.”

The coachman smiled then gazed directly behind me.

I followed his gaze to meet-

“Arusei?!”

“Wreigner?”

I chuckled as I called his name.

It was such a pleasant surprise.

He bent down as though to hug me, but I took a step aside, nearly bumping into Richie.

He cleared his throat to alleviate the awkwardness.

“Are you really-, Wreigner!”

A loud voice chirped from behind his frame.

“Ah right!”

He said as though remembering himself.

“This is Doria Hyle, my younger sister.”

He introduced a familiar brown-haired girl.

“We met in school, I believe. I greet the princess of the West.”

Unlike Wreigner, whose hair was black, hers was a deep-set hazel that brushed perfectly against the lime green dress she wore.

“I heard that you are the new countess of Clay.”

The corners of her lips tilted upwards.

“How fortuitous, a savage leading savages.”

She opened her fan to cover her mouth.

“Doria!”

Wreigner called harshly, but I used my hand to halt him.

“Indeed, but how is Sir Boseman? I heard he got engaged to the child of a baron. I don’t know her name…but I am sure you know hers. Uhmm…what was it….”

Doria’s expression soured; the fan did little to conceal her expressions.

“She has creamy white hair, green eyes…oh! That’s right, she filed a restraining order against you… Gods! But that name…it escapes me!”

Doria flushed.

All who know Doria know of her obsession with Cole Boseman, her former knight. She adored him to the point of turning herself into a mini-villain against his lover.

Well, perhaps I shouldn’t emphasise her height.

I am relatively short, yet I am still at least a head taller than she.

“What is your point, Countess?”

“Oh, I don’t really mean to rehash bad memories. Did I offend you? Oh, I will ensure to bring you a compensatory gift…perhaps during tea next week? Julia is hosting, oh right…that was her name….and oh no…you can’t come.”

“Next week? Are you certain the primitive cannibals you lead will not have eaten each other?”

‘Hah…this child.’

“Doria, enough now.”

Wreigner interrupted.

“Me? Do you not hear how she speaks to me?”

“I wish to speak to the countess; why not meet with your friends?”

Doria gave Wreigner a look as though to say, ‘unbelievable’.

“Well, fine. Try not to dilly dally; your fiancée, princess Priscilla, awaits.”

‘…Cute’

Doria turned and walked away with the man holding their umbrella, leaving Wreigner in the drizzle.

“Oh, you should….”

I moved over so that we could share my umbrella, but since Richie and I were short, he had to bend.

“May I?”

He offered to help Richie, who, at first, frowned, but after receiving a generous tip from Wreigner, he happily handed the umbrella and walked back towards the direction of the carriage.

“Is that how you sell me?”

I asked Richie as he walked away.

“This old man will only point you in the direction of the finest!”

‘Cheeky.’

*

“Shall we?”

Wreigner asked as he pointed the stairs.

I nodded, and we began our ascend.

“Princess Doria…she is charming.”

“Ah, that she is.”

“Where is…I want to say, Madeline?”

“Margret?”

“Yes, excuse me.”

“She is visiting the East with my mother.”

“Oh?”

“Your hair is damp on your right.”

He said as he furled the umbrella now that we had arrived at a shaded area.

“Is it?”

Our invitations were checked, and the servants helped me remove my shawl.

The room was heated, so there was no need to cling to it.

Wreigner took his handkerchief, and rather than hold it to me, he pressed it against the damp side of my hair.

“Hey! Isn’t this…a little too close?”

“You smell good.”

He answered instead.

“Did you just brush my wor-, wait, what do I smell like?”

“Pardon?”

“Well, I am always told that I smell nice, but I don’t actually know what I smell like? Does that make any sense?”

He gave a low throaty chuckle.

“Hmm, like cherries and cold cream. A little like a cherry gelato only more…intoxicating.”

I lifted my gaze to meet his, and he slowed his dabbing.

“Do you know the scent of the soap I use?”

“Tell me?”

“Eucalyptus.”

At this, he burst out laughing.

I nearly joined him but-

“Wow, she is already man-hunting.”

“I guess we know why she came back.”

“She works fast.”

“But isn’t that Pricilla’s fiancé?”

“He is?”

“She must have a death wish.”

I took a deep breath then stepped away from him.

“That’s- that’s enough, it will air dry.”

“Pay no mind to them.”

“Easier said than done.”

I cleared my throat then pushed past him, only he grabbed my hand, stopping me from proceeding into the main hall.

“You look beautiful.”

“Right? But that’s because you are used to seeing me in rags. You look exactly the same out there as here.”

“Even mentally?”

‘Is he still sad?’

‘Is this engagement hard on him?’

“You look, okay,”

I answered.

“Yes, I find myself strangely okay whenever I am around you.”

‘Why is he saying misleading things?’

“Are you feeling vulnerable because your ‘younger sister’ is getting engaged?”

He stiffened then let out a weak smile.

“Is it obvious?”

“You are such a coward! Why not tell her? She is kind of an airhead, so she might never understand how you-,”

“There is no need to, she seemed happy when she told me about the proposal, plus…I can just like you now.”

“Again with this joke?”

I rolled my eyes.

I know it’s a joke because the night we spent together, drunk and entangled in each other, simply longing to forget the realities around us, he confessed that he did not know how to forget her.

He was initially a person I did not wish to get entangled with, but perhaps because of Breca and the mercenary life, we found more mutuality than distrust in each other.

“It’s not a joke.”

“Gods, did you hear that?”

The whispers began again.

“She’s entrapped him?”

“What about Priscilla?”

“How dare she?”

“Poor Priscilla.”

*

*

*

Wreigner G. Hyle

“Aha…look, this is not the time or place.” Arusei began, “In fact, I think we shouldn’t talk-,”

“Don’t make one-sided decisions.”

He said before she had the chance to give an excuse that would lead her to avoid him through the entire event.

In response, she frowned.

“You are an engaged man, to the princess, no less.”

The problem with Arusei is that she is too sharp.

“None of which is my-,”

“Stop, stop right there.” She leaned in and whispered, “We had a deal.”

She is so sharp that his only chance with her would be if he lied.

So, he did.

When they were left alone in the snowy western mountains, he said to her...

‘I might never forget Regina.’

Arusei was surprisingly lenient whenever he mentioned her.

She would always give him a sympathetic look, pat his back then offer him whichever alcohol she had in her person.

She drank a lot…

‘Ah, don’t worry, you’ll get a happy ending this way. Drink this!’

She always left it there.

So, he took it further in the mountains.

He made up stories of how he really believed her to be the one, how he was unsure how he would live without her.

Then she kissed him.

‘This is just to shut you up!’

she promised, but her kisses were too sweet to leave with just a taste.

He pressed his hands in the creaminess under her shirt, and she let out a delicious moan, more pleasurable than any wine she offered.

‘Is this happening?’

She asked, and I all too willingly agreed.

‘Fine, but we will never discuss this again. We are just comforting each other.’

He nodded eagerly, her scent too arousing to waste one more second chattering the night away.

Because of his lies, she was too clouded to see him as potential.

But now that Regina was finally engaged, he could show her that his obsession had soothed.

“Wreigner, darling.”

A calm voice called, and instantly he turned to the dirty blonde hair that resembled pale freshly chopped wood and burning crimson eyes.

“Princess.”

He called.

Pricilla approached him; each step she took caused his chest to tighten.

“Who were you speaking with?”

He turned his gaze lower to where Arusei stood, but she was already gone.

“I have heard worrying rumours.”

Her face was cold.

“What rumours? I have just arrived.”

Pricilla boxed her hand in his, then lowered her voice.

“If you have another, that is fine, but don’t you dare embarrass me in public like this! Meet them in the dark, or I will kill them.”

It was a threat…

But the thought of her against Arusei did not phase him.

The only problem was that if such an event happened, Arusei would run away from him.

‘So not yet.’