I’m A Villainess, Can I Die? - Chapter 9

Aiden told me that my brother wanted to see me. It was only 3 hours before the engagement ceremony.

“Selena.”

“Brother.”

My brother looked at me with a dazzlingly bright smile.

He had his hair pulled back neatly, and he wore a clean suit.

I couldn’t believe this guy was not the main character. It didn’t make sense.

“You look so pretty today.”

He said so and kept his eyes glued to me.

I knew the reason why. It was always written like that in the novel.

Aaron was itching to see Selena in a blue dress.

Pretty, cute.

Those words for his beloved sister lingered around his mouth, but he couldn’t speak because he was worried that she would tear the dress apart if he said so.

‘What a bad girl.’

Selena’s temper was seriously bad, how could she think of ripping the dress? How much money and effort did it take to make this dress?

I opened my mouth to reassure him. And to my surprise, I said the words so naturally.

“Thank you. You look great today too. Congratulations on your engagement.’

“Oh…! Yes, thank you, Selena.”

His face was already handsome, but paired with his bright smile, it became fatal. I could also see his dimples.

‘Selena, did you know your brother had dimples? You didn’t know, did you?’

‘When you saw your brother smiling, you got so angry, so would you even notice that?’

‘You’re so immature.’

I wanted to smile at the helpless young master. But I just nodded because I still couldn’t figure out how to smile naturally.

“So why did you want to see me?”

“Ah… it’s just… I’m so nervous. I just wanted to see your face.”

What did the tension of the engagement have to do with seeing my face?

‘Just say that you want to see my face.’

It was weird how he searched for a reason that ended up not making any sense instead.

My brother looked at me again.

“I’m sorry.”

It was an apology again. Whenever I talked to my brother, didn’t it seem like Selena was still harassing him?

“Are you going to say sorry again to me in front of the others?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know what you’re so sorry about, but you always say you are. I was just wondering if you’d say sorry to me in front of others. If that happens, I’ll look like I’m still out of my mind. I’m going to prepare an excuse in advance.”

My brother’s face became a bit pale. He was too pure and stupid.

‘Why? I think I didn’t say anything wrong.’

My brother nodded in the end.

It didn’t matter if other people would mock me, but I had to think about making excuses for the honor of the writer and Selena, to whom I now owe.

‘I’m not so shameless.’

“About that… I’m sorry.”

“Brother.”

He said it again. ‘I think it has become a habit.’

I stood with one leg crooked and folded my arms. This attitude was the best for complaining.

Just like a representative of a large company who would come to see his employees and find fault in them.

“You don’t have to be sorry for me. You know, it’s not a sin to like and to love. I know you love me very, very much, so stop apologizing.”

I stretched out one hand forward to emphasize my determination. It was a clear rejection.

My brother’s eyes twitched hearing my direct and shameless arrogant-like words of truth.

“If you say sorry to me again…”

“…What if I do?”

“I’m going to kneel and beg that I’m more sorry. Wherever it is, in front of anyone.”

My brother’s mouth opened wide. ‘He gave me a passionate response.’

‘Ah, by the way, your mouth is bigger than I thought.’

However, no matter how my brother reacted, nothing would change.

He needed to fix his habits first.

“I’m going to rub my palms too.”

I demonstrated by rubbing my hands in advance.

“Uh… Selena? You’re not sick, right?”

With trembling hands, my brother touched my forehead, but it was at normal temperature.

I held my brother’s hand carefully.

“Of course, there’s not much time left until the engagement ceremony. I’ll be on my way. I’d like to greet the princess and my parents in advance.”

“Oh… yes, I’ve kept you quite a bit. Sor-”

My brother closed his mouth. Fortunately, he realized before he said the whole thing.

“S-so, be careful on your way there.”

What was he talking about all of sudden?

But it was a good save. Along with the idea that my brother may be good at acrostic poems, he had an honorary title as a senior graduate of the Academy.

As expected, he was different from the rest of us.

“Uh, yeah. See you later.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful. Then take a rest.”

My older brother worried about me and carefully patted me on the shoulder.

I looked at the stiff hand gestures that were trying to somehow express intimacy, then I bowed my head and turned around.

While walking toward the door, I felt a gaze stuck behind my back.

I used to ignore my teachers’ words saying that the back of my head also had eyes, but now it seems like I do have one because I knew that it was my brother who wouldn’t move his gaze away.

As I turned my head, I saw my brother who was looking at me with a worried and confused face.

He still seemed to think I was sick.

“But you’ve relieved the tension of the engagement, haven’t you?”

I tried to smile for today’s main character.

When I saw my brother’s face turning rapidly pale, I turned my head again. I also thought it was a bit weird.

‘It’s okay.’

It seemed like he forgot about the tension of his engagement because he was afraid of me. It was a relief, though.

I came out of my brother’s room and went to visit the princess next.

The wedding would be held at the palace, and the engagement would be held in the duke’s banquet hall.

So since early this morning, the princess had been spending time in the duke’s finest guest room.

“Princess.”

“Oh my~ Selena!”

Our kind, beautiful, dignified, and cheerful positive female lead accepted me so quickly that I thought she had never been bullied by me.

‘Look at this closeness.’

Thinking that Ariel might be my hidden sister, I opened my arms wide and patted her on the back.

“I’m glad you came to my waiting room.”

“Of course I’d come and say hello. You look so beautiful today.”

The princess, wearing a cream-colored dress with her golden hair and countless diamonds, was dazzlingly beautiful.

She blushed shyly at my compliment, and moved her gaze into the air awkwardly.

“I think Selena is more beautiful!”

She and my brother looked so proud and gave me the same compliment. ‘What a perfect match.’

After the compliments, we spent time talking about useless things.

She was so happy that she kept holding onto me and blabbered random things.

My legs started to hurt.

Although I tried to build up my stamina by taking walks, I still had weak legs like a little Bambi.

If this was a high-level revenge strategy, I was willing to applaud that it was a success. Bravo.

Fortunately, Ariel noticed it and encouraged me to sit down.

However, looking at the time, it seemed that there was not enough of it left to sit and talk. Besides, I didn’t have any reactions or answers to squeeze out any further.

“Thank you for your offer, but I’d like to say hello to my parents and check the condition of my dress again.”

“Really…? That’s a shame.”

Ariel grabbed my hands and her big eyes glimmered sadly. She really looked like a Bambi.

“We can talk slowly again later. We’re going to be a family soon.”

My soulless excuse brought a lovely pink flush to Ariel’s face.

When a female lead was embarrassed, they would have red cheeks like they’re wearing blush naturally…

This seemed to be the main character’s buff.

“Then there’s nothing we can do! Let’s talk again next time! Get there safe, princess!”

‘Are you telling me to be careful on the way to the duke and duchess from here? Am I a baby?’

The main characters, especially the female protagonist of this third-rate novel, were the ones who had to be careful even inside the house because they were a walking bomb of accidents.

Going by that logic, did she perhaps think I would get lost in my own home? Perhaps it was sincere advice from her.

Our female lead, who couldn’t even imagine what thoughts were in my head, waved at me.

“Yes, I’ll be careful. See you at the engagement ceremony.”

When I finished my second visit, I stretched my body.

These two were easy to deal with.

Maybe it was because they were pretty similar. I felt like I was dealing with one person.

Toward the last place, I trudged along the empty hallway alone, then I saw Aiden walking from afar.

I thought he came to find me, who said I was going to my brother’s room but never came back.

“My Lady!”

“Oh, Aiden.”

“Why did you come here without saying a word?”

Aiden asked with slight worry on his face.

When I first met him, he always bowed down as if the top of his head was his face. After some time, I could finally see his actual face first.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had my own freedom.”

“Yes, then have you had enough?”

“No.”

Hearing my answer, Aiden walked behind me. He seemed to have given up on my answers.

I thought it was time for him to ask me where I was going, so I looked back at him, then he asked me again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you need to ask me where I’m going?”

“Aren’t you going to the duke and the duchess?”

“How did you know? Did you use magic?”

Aiden coughed loudly and quickly turned pale. Just like the first day we met.

Whenever I talked about magic, he turned so pale. Maybe that was from magic, too?

“… What do you mean magic? I don’t know that. I just assumed that the direction was towards the duke’s office.”

He was obviously lying, so why was he still hiding it? He knew he was already caught…

Why did he hide like that with all his might?

‘But oh well, I’ll let it slide.’

I honestly didn’t mean anything. I just asked him because I was genuinely curious.

“Or maybe not. Ah, I’ll just say it again.”

Aiden’s neck moved. Only a gulp rang in the silence.

“If you betray me, you’ll lose your tongue.”

Dying at the hands of others was annoying. It was beyond the level of misery, and in particular, magic must have hurt a little.

‘Right, Selena? Especially fire magic. ‘

‘Alright, let’s stop imagining it.’ I turned my head and went on my way.

The footsteps that followed me paused for a little bit, but soon continued.

The only sounds in the empty hallway were the ringing footsteps of the two of us tramping.