I’m A Villainess, Can I Die? - Chapter 28
Vivian felt like her mood was about to explode.
‘Oh my God. Did Princess Selena, the one who turned people upside down by spitting out indifferent and short answers, not only accept my invitation to the garden party, but also ask me to go shopping together?!’
She pretended to be uninterested in her…
Vivian thought of not returning to the capital right away just in case, and in the end, she danced, touched by Selena’s reply. She didn’t forget to kiss the mirror three times. Besides, right now! It was a battle for the last defeat. Now it was herself who stood next to Princess Selena. Vivian Jonas.
“Ah… Young Lady was also here.”
It didn’t feel bad at all to see her instant frown. Rather, it was exhilarating that she was the one who made the wrinkles appear on her forehead. ‘How exciting! Power is the best!’
“This is the first time we’ve met since the engagement ceremony between the young master and the princess! I guess you haven’t returned to your estate yet?”
“Yes, well. It’s social season soon, so I’m staying at a house in the capital. Is Lady Vivian still staying at White’s estate?”
“I liked it so much that I am staying a little longer. At the same time, Lady Selena invited me to see clothes together.”
“Ah…”
Mia glanced at Selena with frustration and looked straight into her eyes. Vivian did not miss it and moved a little closer to Selena. At that expression, Mia raised the corners of her mouth crookedly and swept her hair. She didn’t know how things turned out to be like this. ‘The seat next to hers was mine…’
‘Just because of that beggar…’ A man with light blonde hair entered Mia’s eyes as she thought. ‘Aiden…’
Creak- The sound of grinding teeth echoed in the awkward silence. Mia flinched at the sound, and Vivian clapped and moved forward.
“Oh my, Young Lady! If you grind your teeth like that, they will get damaged!”
‘This little shi–’
Mia raised her eyebrows at the sight of Vivian, who had Selena behind her while showing off her momentum. She thought it would be better to just go.
Selena, who was only silent in front of her unfavorable situation, was just so… annoying.
‘She returned quite differently than before.’ Mia couldn’t know what kind of bizarre scolding the princess would give off next.
After giving a rough greeting and preparing to leave the place, the moment Mia grabbed the hem of her skirt, Selena, who was quietly gazing at the situation, opened her mouth with that polite and expressionless face.
“I think you came to look for clothes… We’re acquainted with each other, so let’s look around together. Is that okay, Young Lady Mia?”
‘Ah… crazy.’
Mia, who had lost her timing, closed her eyes and opened them again. She forced a smile on her face and nodded. The trembling corners of Mia’s lips were showing her true feelings.
“Of course, Princess Selena.”
* * *
From the looks of it, in this fight between Vivian and Mia, it seemed that attention-seeker Mia had lost. It looked like the way that they would win or lose depended on me… I felt like I became a gambler with a winning rate of 100%.
Seeing them fight, I thought it would be quite hectic if the two of them stayed close. Usually, I was quite against hecticness… but with today’s plans, the frenzy would help.
“Of course, Princess Selena.” The forced answer was satisfactory. Besides, I really wanted to see Mia one more time before I die. Because there was something I really wanted to tell her.
“Let’s sit down first. Madam, there must be a drawing room in the salon, right?”
“Yes, of course, Lady Selena.”
Madam, who had been watching the two of them smiling and spitting in each other’s faces after I lifted her, straightened her posture and led me.
“Thank you for earlier, Lady Selena,” She whispered to me in a small voice. At that whisper, I roughly nodded and followed her.
The drawing room was bigger than expected. Since it was located close to the capital and the main customers were wealthy nobles, the drawing room seemed to be as fancy as possible.
“Ladies, what about the tea?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to me. Social life was vertical.
[tl/n: in a vertical society the ones with more status are the ones who lead decisions]
“Do you have rosemary?”
“Sure. What about the others… ?”
Madam smiled and glanced at the two women, and Vivian responded by quickly leaning forward.
“Me too! Rosemary.”
“…I’ll take the same.”
Mia, one step late, answered with an annoyed expression. It seemed that the war between these two was not over yet.
“Yes, then I’ll bring the catalog with the tea.”
After Madam had left, silence came again in the large drawing room where the three of us, and a few of our own servants, remained. In the meaningless time of repeated nerve war and silence, I remembered the words I had to say to the two of them.
“Come to think of it… Young Lady Vivian. My mother told me to send her greetings to you.”
“…Oh my goodness. The duchess? To me…?”
Vivian opened her mouth with a shocked expression on her face. My closed lips slowly raised. I almost bowed my head in admiration of the dramatic change in expression and the lines stolen from some soap opera. It didn’t matter how Vivian reacted. I delivered the words to her and I wouldn’t send the reply to my mother anyway.
Now it was the turn of our attention-seeker, Mia. When our eyes met, Mia raised her lips, unable to hide her displeasure. It was quite pathetic that the tip of her lips trembled.
“What’s the matter… Princess Selena?”
As if dissatisfied with speaking politely, Mia accentuated the last words. From my perspective, it looked like someone would perform a musical filled with nostalgia. And I knew someone who would fit perfectly in this musical.
“Young Lady Mia, perhaps, do you know a noble like a peacock?”
“…Pardon?”
Mia made an expression, asking what kind of bullsh*t I was saying. But I really wanted to introduce this man to Mia. If these two came together, a great musical could be completed.
“Then do you have a godfather?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Ah. I see.”
‘Oh my, it’s spilled milk…’
[tl/n: she means her efforts are futile]
I could see a peacock man waving his cane in sorrow from afar. He was perfect for Mia’s godfather.
“But why are you asking… May I know?”
Mia looked at me with suspicious eyes. Her eyes were wondering why I would ask about her godfather. Could her godfather be the Emperor himself?
“There was a peacock that I wanted to introduce as your godfather.”
“…Introduce a peacock as my godfather? Ha!” Mia, whose ears were red, snapped. She must have imagined a real peacock as her godfather.
‘It looks like the metaphor didn’t work in this world. Or it could be that there are no metaphors in Mia’s dictionary… Ah… But when I think about it, I think a peacock would be a good fit as her godfather. Because she’s a person who likes to get attention… So when the peacock spreads its feathers after you introduce it as your godfather, people won’t be able to turn their gazes away. The original DXsney princesses also carried at least one animal as a signature…’
Despite my deep(?) thoughts, Mia seemed to think that I was insulting her.
“…I’ll just go, I don’t even want to look at clothes anymore!”
Mia jumped up and snapped her fingers towards her servants, and two large servants scrambled behind her. At the same time, the door opened with a knock…
“The tea is ready… not…”
Clak- The door closed again.
As Madam met face to face with Mia in the chilly atmosphere, and stepped back, the sound of suppressed laughter echoed throughout the room.
“Ha… Do you think the situation now is fun…?”
Mia, whose body was shaking for a different reason than the others, turned her head dynamically toward me and Vivian’s servants.
Red hair fluttered as she shook her head, and the servants who had been holding back their laughter bowed their heads. So did Aiden, who was standing next to them.
‘What kind of dirty world is this… where you can’t laugh even if it’s funny and your tea isn’t ready even when it is…’
“Young Lady Mia. That’s Aiden.”
I slowly got up from my seat. It was to see off the poor madam who had to go back with a fully prepared tea.
“Aiden… Yes, it’s Aiden,” said Mia, rolling her big eyes.
‘That’s Aiden, what about it?’ It seemed that if you remove a former villainess’s left arm, she could speak with her mind. It felt like a voice echoed in my head even though she didn’t open her mouth.
I walked past Mia without a sound and put my hand on the doorknob. I was close enough that Mia’s harsh breathing could reach my ears.
“It means that I am the only one who can get angry at my people. Young Lady Mia Rashapel.”
Ha! I turned the doorknob at the same time as the squeaky voice rang in my ears again. Behind the door was Madam standing in the side aisle, blankly holding a tray of tea and a catalog.
“Madam, is the tea ready now?”
“Yes… Yes! Lady Selena.”
Mia, whose face turned white and red, raised her lips crookedly and wrinkled her nose. She seemed to want to kick this door out and run away right now.
‘You can come in as you please.’
“That’s good. Since the tea is ready… Drink slowly before you go, Young Lady Mia.”
‘But you can’t go yet, Mia.’
Mia was perfect for my plan. She liked to get attention, and sometimes she actually stood out.
In other words, she had an excellent talent in the attention-seeker section I was interested in and was looking for.