The Villainess was Loved

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Difference Between A Damsel & A Puppet

Apparently, ‘get you girls ready’ was code for; Arusei stalls the prince while Regina gets dolled up to make their first meeting impactful.

I barely had a choice in the matter because I was wheeled everywhere.

“Give us privacy.”

Étienne said to my knight as soon as he settled in the provided room. A room designed only for the marquis’s visitors.

“I- I am to keep an eye on-,”

“Are you disobeying an imperial order?”

“Forgive me.”

My temporarily brave knight said, then scampered to the door.

Can no one in this household keep me safe?

I turned my gaze to the prince, then sighed.

“I greet your royal highness, the fourth prince-,”

“I should have you locked up, framed for tragedies, whipped and executed before the masses.”

It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Will that not sour your campaign?”

“Hah!” he scoffed, then sat on the sofa across from me, “As though my campaign fascinates you.”

He crossed his long legs condescendingly, then threw the excess of his silver hair off his face.

“I heard that you will most likely get married to lower nobility, where your ambitions will lie as dormant as the desert sand. Do you regret it yet?”

“Desert sand is moved by the strong wind, eventually colluding to form sand storms. I think you mean oceanic sand?”

The annoyance on his face was palpable.

“Is that your response to my question? A threat?”

“My apologies, your highness, I was merely sharing the little wisdom I have on the subject of sand,” I answered.

I might as well throw him a bone before he actually, for a second time, throws me in jail for insulting a member of the imperial family.

“Concerning the engagement. I do regret it. I never thought that my stubbornness would lead to…,” I saddened my gaze, “But it is too late now.”

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you passed it on so foolishly.”

You cheated on me with my sister.

“I know.” I sighed dramatically, “that might be a regret I will take to my grave.”

“I don’t understand why you behaved hostile towards me? Enlighten me on that, Lady Alpensa.”

You gave the first dance to Regina on our anniversary despite knowing its importance.

You knew how I’d be treated if I lost your gaze.

You knew, yet you still...

“Forgive me, your highness. I have little understanding of what you might mean.”

“Don’t play dumb with me; you know exactly what I mean!” he leaned forward, “Both in the carriage and library. I cannot recall a meeting where we spoke to each other in earnest.”

“Well, to be fair, you had my room ransacked, and my maid thrashed.”

“What proof do you bear?”

“I found an emblem with the marking of the fourth division knights.”

Each royal child had a division dedicated to them.

“And with that, you deduced that it was me? Why did you not confront me then?”

“I was on my nerves about it, so I went to Patum, to think. I find travel best after unpleasant events.”

“After unpleasant events.”

He repeated, nodding.

“I lost my title because of you, and that is all you wish to say?”

“You are right, your highness. I am behaving quite rudely to you at the moment. My apologies.”

Lost your title because of me, my ass!

“That is it? That is all you wish to say to me?” he uncrossed his legs, “I came for answers, not cheap apologies.”

“I can offer nothing but cheap apologies.”

“Yes, now that you are about to be the second wife of the Central Viscount, you really have nothing much to offer.”

“It is as you say, your highness.” I bowed.

“You b*tch! You think I have no notion of what you are trying to do?”

“What is it that I am trying to do, your highness?”

*

Étienne Norvig Yarez.

This was not how he expected their meeting to go.

It was supposed to be more eventful. Arusei should have been more upset about her predicament!

If she apologises and agrees with his spite, then he can’t suggest his concubine offer in goodwill.

Not that his mother will accept it, but once he regains the crown, she will have no reason to monitor his activities.

Still, he wouldn’t need such a ridiculous offer if she would just cease haunting him.

If she did that, then framing her, and sending assassins and bandits could all be done in good faith.

The green of her gaze held before turning to face the window.

How dare she!

How dare she wrecks his life and act as though she could not be bothered!

‘What is it that I am trying to do, your highness?’

What was she trying to do?

He didn’t know.

That is what boggled him.

An argument works best when both parties resist each other’s ideas. All she was doing was accepting everything he threw at her.

How far could he take it before she showed emotion?

“Well, I am certain, with your skills, you can manage to get the Viscount to neglect his wife in no time.”

“Excuse me?”

Her gaze shifted from the window to his.

She was angry.

Étienne near smiled.

He knew it; just like in his dreams, her mother’s past was a sore subject.

“Truly, what you did to the marquis and me, basically all who counted on you, was wicked, but all will be well. I mean, we all have areas we excel at, mine being charisma, you…”

He drawled purposefully.

Her green gaze burned in the familiar way they so often burned in his dreams, and just like that, a vindictive smirk curved at the corner of her mouth.

“I see. You came spiteful to gloat.”

“To gloat? I ought to have your head on a pike for such an obscene suggestion!”

“Then take it!”

He stilled; did she know he couldn't?

Of course, she did; she just mentioned his campaign.

“What?”

“Take it, take my head, take whatever you want, but when you are done, leave me alone, will you?”

“Leave you al-,” he scoffed, “Can you even hear yourself?”

“Can you?” she turned the question to him.

Yes, the reality that he was here with no actual excuse also irked him.

But he was far from giving in.

“I feel the most dramatic to be yourself. I know that you perhaps received a few strokes on your soles for your selfishness, but do you really need a wheelchair? Is this some new cry for attention? Do you wish to be viewed as a damsel?”

*

Arusei E. Alpensa

Yes, this speech.

He gave the same one when I told him I was being abused by the countess taking me through etiquette.

“You came here, to me, to this manor unannounced. How is it possible that you think this is my cry for attention from you?”

“Then admit it!! Admit that you made the wrong choice and say that we can rectify-!”

“Rectify what? I am wholly put off by you! Forgive me if I at one point convinced you otherwise.”

Crap! I should have sugar-coated that.

But would it be so bad if he actually succeeded in taking my life?

Maybe then I can finally-

“Why do you hate me?”

Is he…

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I want to know why you dislike me! You are supposed to like me!”

‘??’

“I am supposed to like you?” I frowned, “You are an okay leader, but-,”

“Not as a leader but as…” he paused, “Look. I have dreams about you. In my dreams, you are by my side, in love with-,”

“Stop!”

I tried to halt him, but he just leaned closer.

“I saw the cardinal, and they said that if a royal repeats a dream for more than five nights, it is divination, a message from the gods. Destiny, if you will. You are supposed to be by my side!”

Destiny? Destiny???

I am destined to be with-

“Hahaha…!”

A vicious laugh escaped my lips.

“Me…yours? Hahaha..ha….” I clapped my hands to further the suffocatingly bitter laugh from my being.

“I would sooner f*ck the Viscount.”

I once asked for your honesty.

I asked to be informed when your interest began to dwindle…

To which you replied;

‘Impossible. I will adore you forever.’

So why was it that I was the one to launder sheets that smelled nothing of me? Why did I have to find traces of golden hair in the crevices of the palace that you promised were mine?

I did not love you.

Or...I did.

Maybe I didn’t.

Maybe I say that…so I don’t have to say my unrequited love broke my heart…

but no…you did not break my heart, merely kissed me with a mouth that kissed another. Spun lies so elegantly that I missed them, then finally sent me to my death.

You butchered me.

“W-what?”

His face was dumbfounded, but so was mine.

“I tell you that we are written in the stars, a prophecy that will, not long from now, be revealed by the church, and you say that you’d rather sleep with that obese pig????!!”

He was rigidly furious.

He stood harshly, dropping the pillows on the settee.

“Your highness, I think you should leave.”

“What?”

There was a knock on the door amid the tense silence.

A distraction.

“C-come in.” I turned to the door as I wheeled myself back from his dangerously set frame.

Not because I feared he, like the Marquis, would hurt me, but because I did not trust myself not to hurt him.

Pretending to be weak is hard. I need a medal for this.

The door swung open, and Regina walked in, dressed in a brand new peach dress.

Her hair was done up, her lips touched to a beautiful ripe watermelon shade.

She looked Breathtaking, more than usual, far, far more than usual, making her motive clear.

I turned to Étienne, but rather than him gazing at the female lead for the first time, his eyes were trained savagely on my frame.

'What the hell?'

She’s the female lead; look at the dolled up female lead!!

“I do not believe we have met.” Regina began when the silence prevailed, “I am Regin-,”

“This was a private meeting. If you interrupted just to introduce yourself-,”

“N-no, no, I had an idea. An idea to bring the people by your side.”

“What?” Etienne turned to Regina irritatedly.

“A clinic for the middle class.”

Wah…

You haven’t even run the idea by a professional to tell its probability.

Of course, it is a workable idea, I started several clinics under Regina’s name in my past life, but it could have been a dud idea.

This…this is why I envy female leads with the trope ‘cute air head’ attached to their persona.

“ A clinic?”

“Yes, We could start a clinic with the Alpensa name and have the fourth prince donate equipment publicly.” Regina paused then stared at me.

'You have got to be kidding me.'

‘Only for registered voters.’

I mouthed to her.

Regina cleared her throat and picked up where she left off.

“Th- the clinic, we could give full health care plans to benefit registered voters and thus help your campaign.”

‘Set plan to compensate the physicians separately.’

“O-of course, we will set a plan to compensate the physicians separately,” she continued nervously.

“Campaign...” Étienne’s eyes flew back to me, “Right.”

“I will let the both of you debate the specifics of the plan. If you will excuse me.” I wheeled myself to the door.

Gods, what was the name of the knight that did this for me?

“A-are you sure you do not want to stay?” Regina asked.

“One hundred per cent!”

“We are not done here!” Étienne’s voice rang angrily.

I didn't stop.

A gnawing realisation hit me as I closed the door to offer them privacy.

Not that he had spoken rudely to the protagonist, but that…the church would announce a prophecy?

There is no way the Queen would let that happen…unless Étienne planned to overlook his mother’s judgment.

Wait…wait!

He can see the past, and he still doesn’t know what he did wrong??

It’s in dream form, should I give him the benefit of- Blah!

What the hell am I thinking.

“I am telling you, the lady cannot accept visitors at the moment. I can pass on the message if you would like but-.”

Constance, the butler’s voice, rang through the empty halls.

“Young sir, this is imperial mail. I cannot and will not pass it to anyone but Lady Arusei Evergreen Alpensa.”