The Original Villainess

CHAPTER 10

A knock on the library door pulled me out of the monotony of the book I was reading. Jeez. Four chapters in, and all I got is that the temple was blessed by the deities. Repeated six hundred times in six hundred ways in four chapters. I stretched my arms above my head. “Come in!” I’ll have to try another book before getting back to this one. I’ll never learn anything at this rate.

“My lady,” Dorothy said, poking her head into the room, “you have a guest.”

I c****d my head. “Hm?”

“It’s the jeweler from last time. He’s waiting in the foyer.”

I shot to my feet. “Oh! Thank you, Dorothy!” I lifted my skirts so I wouldn’t trip as I hurried through the halls to the foyer. I beamed when I saw the man from the shop. “You’re here!”

He jumped and spun around. “Oh. Yes.” He cleared his throat and bowed. “Lady Sumner, I am Mickey. I have come to deliver your order.”

“I didn’t think you would deliver them yourself!” I clapped my hands quietly but rapidly, bouncing on the balls of my feet. “Let me see!”

He pulled a square box from the inside of his jacket, and I realized for the first time that he was wearing nicer clothes than when we had first met. Aw. Did he dress up so he could deliver these? That’s adorable. The box had rounded corners and a single hinge, but it was polished and appeared expensive. His shop doesn’t look well-off enough to put their pieces in boxes like that. Which means he probably used the down payment I gave him to hunt for a special box just for this order.

He opened the lid of the box and showed me the contents.

I gaped at the cufflinks. My fingers picked one up, brushing across the shine of the sapphire. “Wow.” I had no words. “This detail is immaculate! How did you do that?”

Mickey shrugged, his cheeks tinging pink. “I’ve just…always done it like that.”

“But you can clearly tell these are lilacs, even though they’re so small! Who created it? Was it you? Are you also a metalsmith?”

He nodded, clearly embarrassed. “I’ve always enjoyed designing jewelry, but because I have no title or estate, I can’t afford the more expensive stones, so my shop isn’t very popular. I sell enough to get by, but the location…”

He said nothing else, his voice trailing off.

I held the cufflink up to the light. “You said the gem was flawed, but I don’t see anything.”

“It’s only a minor flaw, but some jewelers only work with flawless gems to attract a more wealthy clientele. It’s difficult to see unless you work with gems on a daily basis.”

I placed the cufflink back in the box. “They’re gorgeous, Mickey, thank you.”

The doorbell rang, and I watched the butler walk solemnly over to answer it. After a moment, he stepped aside and announced, “Duke Lanlgy here to call on Lady Brynne Sumner.”

I blushed when I saw Levi approach, my mind immediately remembering the last time we met, even as my hand reached out and snapped the box Mickey was holding shut. I skipped to him, and he raised my hand to his lips. “What are you doing here?”

“Does a man need a reason to visit his fiancee?”

I clasped my hands behind my back and looked away. “And what if your fiancee has a previous engagement?”

“Then she shouldn’t have sent me a letter asking me to come see her.”

I wrinkled my brow at him. “I told you to come when you had time. I was expecting you sometime next week, not today!”

“But alas, I only have time today,” he teased. He pulled his other hand from behind his back. “These are for you.”

I blinked in surprise as I took the bouquet of sunflowers, and inhaled deeply. “They’re wonderful,” I smiled.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find lilacs anywhere, but these reminded me of you.”

I buried my face in the flowers to hide my blush, allowing the scent to wash over me. My eyes drifted back to Mickey, who stood gaping at the duke. Right. I have to take care of him, first. I scoured the halls for a maid, and gestured to her to help me. “Can you find a vase for these? Put them on the bedside table in my room, please. Then have some tea and refreshments sent to the sitting room.”

“Yes, my lady,” she curtsied, and left with the flowers.

“Not on your windowsill?” Levi asked, an amused half-smile settling on his lips.

My eyes darted up at him before looking away again. “My father’s physician told me to stop picking up heavy vases, so I’m not allowed to move them from the sill to the table anymore.”

“Sounds like a smart man.”

I folded my arms, tucking my nose in the air and I continued to look away from him. “Egotistical is more like it. What are my two hands for, if I cannot pick anything up? The man clearly knows nothing about me. I don’t like him.”

Levi’s arms came around me from behind. “You’re pushing my patience, my dear wife,” he murmured into my ear.

I smirked up at him, holding a finger up. “Give me one minute. I’ll be right back.” Then I twisted out of his embrace and gestured for Mickey to follow me to the other side of the foyer. His face was pale as he did so.

“Miss…did I just make cufflinks for Duke Langly?” He stared at the box in his hands.

“Yup!” I beamed.

“Maybe…I should try again,” he whispered, fear dripping from his voice.

I laughed, taking the box. “Now, why would you do that? I told you, they’re perfect. What do I owe you?”

He held up his hands quickly and shook his head. “No, no. What you paid before was more than enough for a pair of cufflinks.”

“Really?” I leaned forward, hands behind my back. He doesn’t appear to be lying. I thought most people would jack up the price because it’s the duke, but he seems to be honest in his dealings. I shrugged. “Okay. Then can I ask you for one more thing?”

“What is it, my lady?”

“Do you have any more of the purple sapphire left?”

“A small amount. Probably only a couple of carats. Why?”

“The necklace I’m wearing for the wedding has one large sapphire, with a bunch of tiny diamonds throughout. But I don’t have earrings yet, and I was wondering if you had enough time to attempt a pair.”

He rolled his head around as he thought. “Depends on the design, I suppose. I don’t deal with earrings too much, considering where the shop is, but I have made a few of them. Do you have an idea on the design?”

I smiled widely at him and scurried across the foyer to the small table along the wall whose only purpose is to hold a vase of flowers. From one of the drawers, I pulled the papers I had tucked there several days ago, and hurried back to Mickey. “I want it to be similar to my necklace. So I was thinking if there was a small stud of the purple sapphire right up at my earlobe, then three flexible chains of white gold embedded with diamonds falling from that.” I pointed to the close up sketches I had made, showing him each piece that I had in mind. “Would that be too difficult?”

He winced as he looked over the drawings. “It is more difficult and time consuming than the cufflinks. I make no promises that they’ll be ready.”

“That’s okay! There are still two weeks left, and I have a pair of earrings to fall back on, if you can’t finish them in time. I’m not a huge fan of them, but they do match my outfit. If you can finish them by the wedding, that would be fantastic. If not, then I’d still love to wear them in my daily life.”

He took the sketches. “I’ll do my best, my lady.”

“Can I call you a carriage?” I asked as I walked him to the door.

“Completely unnecessary, my lady.” Mickey smiled and bowed before leaving.

I watched him go with a frown.

“Is everything alright?” Levi asked softly from behind me.

“It’ll probably take him at least an hour to return without a carriage. He wasn’t sweating when he arrived, so he walked slowly enough to control his body temperature. How early did he have to leave in order to arrive so soon after breakfast?”

“You worry about others too much,” Levi whispered, placing a kiss on my temple.

“Of course I do!” I exclaimed, making sure the door was shut before taking his hand and guiding him to the sitting room. “They’re people, too!” I sat on the sofa across from him, setting the box with the cufflinks in it on the table between us. “Actually, this is kind of related to what I wanted to talk to you about. I was reading some of the books I borrowed from the palace library, but there’s not much on the relationship between the throne and the temple there. Since I grew up so sheltered, I’m unaware of so much that’s going on in the world, but I’m trying to educate myself a bit, so I don’t bring shame to your name. Would you be willing to answer some questions?”

“Of course,” he said. “But what brought this on?”

I stared at the table, a tray of tea already waiting for us. I poured one cup and handed it to Levi, who took it gingerly. “Actually…when I was shopping for your wedding gift, I found myself on the other side of the alley.”

“You mentioned that. What about it?”

Raised voices through the door paused my answer, and I c****d my head towards the noise. Dorothy’s voice stood above the others, and a small frown felled the corners of my lips. I held another finger up to Levi, and stood, walking swiftly towards the door, and threw it open. The butler stood there with a silver tray bearing a quill pen, an ink bottle, and some stationary. One hand was wrapped around Dorothy’s wrist as she clutched a letter.

I narrowed my eyes at the seal, and without wasting another second—or thought—I snatched the envelope from my maid, then stomped back into the sitting room, towards the fireplace. I threw Carson’s letter into the fire and watched it wither away to ash, even as eyes bore into the back of my head.

I spun on my heel, wiping my hands, like they were dusty. How dare he interrupt me for someone like Carson!

“My lady!” the butler cried. “That was from–!”

“I know very well who it was from,” I responded coldly, folding my arms over my chest. “Dorothy, you did well.”

She nodded tearfully and sniffed.

“From now on, any letter addressed to me bearing that seal will be burned! I don't want to know when they arrive; just do it. And no one,” I added darkly, taking deliberate steps towards the trembling man in the doorway, “is to open them, read them, or make their contents known to me. Am. I. Clear?”

The butler nodded. “Y-yes, my lady,” he murmured. “But, my lady!” he exclaimed immediately afterwards, straightening quickly. “What about the messenger?”

I halted in my steps back to the couch, turning slowly, fear aching in my chest and throat. “Messenger?”

“A messenger delivered the letter, my lady,” Dorothy quipped. “He said he was under orders to not leave until he has a response to the letter.”

My shoulders shook. I covered my face with a hand, a harsh, short laugh escaping my lips. Oh, Carson. Desperate, are we? We cannot order an imperial messenger to leave, so he will, indeed, stand there until I give him a message to take back.

I glanced back at Levi, who had pushed himself to his feet, but remained still, like a useless marionette. My eyes flickered to the napkin on the tea tray, and I grinned deliriously. He wants a message? I’ll give him a message. I’ll tell him exactly what he means to me.

I hummed cheerfully as I walked back to the coffee table, and picked up one of the cloth napkins. I shook it out, then blew my nose loudly. I hawked up a loogie, then spat it out into the cloth, before sniffing, folding the fabric into fours. A perfect square. Unblemished on the outside.

I clicked my heels dramatically as I met the butler in the doorway again, placing the napkin on the letter tray he held, a sweet smile on my face. “Tell him,” I whispered to his horrified face, “to give this to his master.”

Then I shut the door. my back up against the wood as my head hung from a quiet laughter.

“Miss Brynne?”

I jerked my head up to see Levi’s cautious gaze, even as I wiped away a tear that had squeezed itself out. I’d love to be there when Carson opens up that napkin. The expression he must make!

I c****d my head at Levi. Ah, that bastard knows how to ruin my day. I pushed myself away from the door, leaning forward a bit with my hands clasped behind my back, an innocent smile on my lips. “Are you curious, Your Grace?”

A flash of some kind of emotion caused his cold exterior to waiver for a moment before he shook his head. “You…must really hate them,” was all he said.

“I do,” I said simply, skipping lightly back to the couch. I placed a hand on his chest and shoved him just hard enough to get him to fall back into his seat. “And I…am not having a good day.” I lifted the skirt of my dress so I could climb onto his lap, straddling him. His eyes widened, but his hands wrapped around my waist, holding me in place so I wouldn’t fall. “Is it not your duty to cheer up your fiancee when she’s having a not-so-good day, Your Grace?”

Levi’s lips pressed together tightly, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed quickly, blood rushing to his face.

I smirked. Aw. He’s adorable. I wrapped my arms around his neck, his hands tightening their hold, not allowing me to lean into him. “Your Grace,” I pouted in a singsong voice. I pressed my lips to his beet red ear. “I went and did something naughty. Will you not punish me, Your Grace?”

I didn’t have time to think before Levi slammed his lips to mine, and I melted into his warmth.

—

“Someone could come in any moment,” I warned.

“You started it,” Levi teased, nibbling my ear, and I squeaked.

Brynne must be really sensitive there. Ears were never really my thing in my last life.

“Maybe I should get up,” I suggested, trying to escape his grip, but his arms came around me and locked me into place on his lap, no longer straddling him.

“I will let you go if you tell me who sent you that letter.”

I shot Levi a death glare, and he sighed almost sadly. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” His arms loosened, and he helped me to my feet. “But at least finish what you were going to say before you attacked me.”

“I did no such thing!” I protested innocently, sitting down on the opposite couch so he was far out of reach. “I was only looking for comfort from my loving fiance.”

“I am always willing to provide comfort to you, my dear wife,” he chuckled, raising a teacup to his mouth, pausing, then setting it down again.

It must be cold.

“But do you think you can avoid seeking that kind of comfort until after we’re married? I really don’t know how I’m supposed to hold myself back when I’m around you.”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re going to be married in just a couple of weeks, so does it matter? You care too much about how people view you, Your Grace.”

“And you’re too carefree, my dear wife. Are you not concerned about being the subject of idle gossip?”

I yawned half-heartedly, covering my open mouth with a few fingers. “Why should I care? They’re not framing me for murder, they’re accusing me of sleeping with a man before I’m married. You know it’s not as big of a deal as they make it out to be, right? People in this world have extra-marital affairs all the time. But they destroy others’ social lives so they won’t be the subject of the rumors. Let’s face it. Having s*x with my fiance two weeks before our wedding is not exactly the end of the world.”

Levi groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “So crass, my lady. Can we change the subject?”

He’s such a baby, I snickered.

“You were saying something about the alleyway you visited last time?”

Fine, I’ll give him this one. But only because it’s important.

“Yes. I saw some children, probably only around four or five, digging through a trash can for scraps of food. In fact, all the buildings on that side of the alley seemed too rundown. Some of them, like Mickey, the jeweler who was just here, probably did their best to keep the inside of the shop spic and span, but because of how closed off the alleyway is from the main street, they can’t keep up appearances on the outside, due to lack of income. And if the shop looks shabby on the outside, then fewer people go in, which means less money to keep up appearances on the inside. It’s a never ending cycle!”

Levi shook his head in confusion. “Where are you going with this?”

“When I was a child,” I sighed, “I remember my mother telling me that it was the duty of the temple to make sure all the citizens in the kingdom were at the very least fed and clothed. Now, I understand it’s possible that some people might slip through the cracks, but is that still the duty of the temple?”

Levi nodded, crossing one leg over the other. “It is. The temple takes donations from larger estates and uses the money to organize events, if you will, to offer basic necessities to the people in need, such as food and clothes.”

“So why did it look like the entire alley had never once seen a priest? Maybe it’s because I haven’t been there before, but Levi…the whole street, it felt like the people had simply been dumped there and forgotten about.”

“I doubt that’s true. As part of their agreement with the throne, the temple has to submit reports every year about how they’re going around helping the poor. The temples located farther from the capital usually report directly to the head of the estate where they live. So the temples in the duchy report to me, and I hand over the report to the king.”

“When was the last time you saw the result of those reports with your own eyes?”

His eyes flashed almost coldly, curiously. “Pardon?”

I took a breath. It’s not his fault. Don’t take it out on him. You’re having a bad day, Kammi. It’s not Levi’s fault. “I mean, when was the last time what you saw on the streets matched what the report said?”

He shook his head again. “Miss Brynne, I’m not sure what you’re insinuating.”

“I’m not insinuating anything! I just–!” My hand fell to my middle, my stomach tying itself up in knots at the implication of the conversation. I could have just left it alone! I should have. But… “I can’t help but think, what if that was my child?”

“Our child will grow up wanting for nothing,” he scowled, tone tense.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I snapped. “I saw children starving on the streets of the capital, a city that’s supposed to be flourishing, a place where the king has ordered every citizen to have no less than one meal a day and new clothes no less than twice a year. Children are digging through rotting garbage, looking for something to eat, and you think I’ll be fine as long as you tell me it’s not my child? What if that was my child? My child digging through the garbage can, because they hadn’t eaten in three days? My child wearing a potato sack with holes cut out for the head and arms? What if that was my child that had to leave before sunrise in order to walk over an hour to get to his job? My child who had to face the harsh winters outside?”

“It won’t be your child,” he stated darkly, his eyes leaving me with an unspoken warning warning.

“But what if it was?” I shoved myself to my feet in frustration, pacing the floor between the coffee table and the sofa. “Do you donate to the temple?”

“Of course. I’m not a monster.”

“Do you know where the funds go?”

He sighed shortly. “I told you, I receive reports.”

“But what if the reports are wrong?”

“Miss Brynne.” Levi stood, walking around the table until he was facing me, taking my shoulders in his hands. I could tell from the strength in his grip that he was only barely holding onto his anger, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d be in the way of a disastrous fit. “House Langly stands by whoever sits on the throne. We do not seek any more political involvement than that.”

I wrenched away from him, glaring at him. I thought he would understand. “I’m not looking for political involvement, Your Grace,” I said tersely. “I’m only trying to understand why a royal decree is not being followed. If the temple is, indeed, doing their job properly, then someone else isn’t.” I always thought it was strange in the novel that the temple immediately sided with Prince Carson. They’ve mostly remained neutral since the beginning, existing solely for the betterment of the people. But maybe, that was just the natural progression after what’s been happening right under the king’s nose. Maybe they’ve always been on the crown prince’s side. If they’re not using the donation funds to follow out the king’s orders, then what are they doing with them? It has to be going somewhere. The prince wouldn’t be planning anything big, like a coup, would he? He has no reason to, since he’s first in line for the throne. But then where is the money going?

“You say it’s alright, because it won’t be my child on the streets, begging for coin just to survive another day? You said yourself; if my parents ever found out about my condition, they would send me to the temple to give birth in secret, and then give the child to an orphanage. Do you really have so much faith in the temple carrying out the king’s orders, that you will not once stop to wonder why there are still so many hungry people left on the streets?” My arms came up protectively around my middle. “Are you so stubborn, that you’d actually be willing to turn my child over to the system, without first knowing how the system works? Do you have so much faith in them, that you’d fully expect to come back after ten years to pick this kid up from the orphanage, and find him or her in good health and high spirits, along with the rest of the children?”

His eyes widened, partially in surprise, partially in anger, and partially in another emotion I couldn’t name.

I turned away from him, my gaze flickered down to the box on the table. I suppose I have to give it to him sooner or later, I thought begrudgingly. Though he’s not very likable right now. I should have handed it over earlier, when he was cheering me up. But now both Carson and Levi are ticking me off. I picked up the box and held it out to him. “Here. It’s for you.”

His hand stumbled in catching it, eyes widening in surprise a little, even as I stepped out of his reach as his hand came up towards me.

“Congratulations on getting married,” I spat bitterly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Your Grace, I have to go get fitted for my wedding dress.”