The Villainous Villainess - Chapter 6

Lunch was served with a room full of love and laughter. They avoided talking about the elephant in the room and instead reminisced about the days when Viviana and Vincenzo were infants and toddlers.

Lunch served that day was cotoletta with potatoes. Veal breaded with shredded parmesan and oregano, grilled with olive oil and rosemary on an iron skillet. Potatos that were chopped in cubes with their skins still attached, salted and browned with the veal. Before presenting, a quick squeeze of fresh lemon drizzled on the meal. Unlike their chocolate-y beverages they had this morning, the family was served with fruity delights. Her parents were given glasses of wine and the children were given fruit juice.

“Mimma, you used to hide in dark places of the manor when you were pooping in your diaper!” Her father happily exclaimed.

Blood rushed to her cheeks and her small heart pumped at a nervous speed.

“I did not, papa!”

Genuine laughter filled the air with sparkles and bubbles of pure bliss, as the family of four sat at the dining table. They’d listen as they ate, talked as they drink, and laughed as the servants took away their empty plates.

“The maids and nannies would run around the manor looking for you; their faces so terrified and wet with tears and sweat.” Her mother chimed in. “They’d run to your mama and papa, crying, ‘We’ve lost the young lady!’ And we’d have to order the entire estate to find you, only for us to find you hiding in cabinets in the kitchen, the coatrooms, or wardrobes of either our rooms or the guestrooms!”

“I did not, mama!” Tears were beginning to form in the inner and outer corners of her eyes, as he brows furrowed together and her face scrunched.

“Did too!” Vincenzo replied. “When we’d find you, your face would be as red as it is now, with that same exact expression!”

The youngest gasped and her mouth formed into a small circle, before she scrunched her face with a scrowl.

“Don’t be embarrassed, mimma! We still love you!” Her father cooed.

The young girl turned away from her family, crossing her arms. She huffed and ignored their apologies.

“Hey, that’s exactly what you’d do when we’d ask you if you were pooping!” The youthful voice of her brother added.

Her face twisted even more.

Viviana had zero recollection of any of these stories her family spoke so joyously of, and frankly, that might have been for the best. But even so, the humiliation for something she couldn’t remember was too much.

After lunch, Vincenzo tried to take her out to the stables. Viviana was always too little to be able to go horseback riding and she has never gone out to see the pony her parents had gotten for her.

“I don’t want to go with you, I’m mad at you!” She whined when he asked her to come along with him. “And I already promised papa that I’d spend the rest of today with him!”

Horses and ponies were larger than from what Layla had seen in photographs and television; and as a born and bred city girl, the only time she had seen a real horse was when she went to the *state fair(1) with her brother or her friends. But even then, their giant heads and muscular bodies were frightening.

In Viviana’s defense, she was born two months premature and was kept indoors longer than children her age. As an infant and a toddler, she was anemic and easily get dizzy and light headed. However, as she aged, she grew out of it and her body was stablizing itself just as well as another child her age. Many maids and bulters had to follow the young girl around the manor but soon decreased as her health increased. Her parents bought her a pony to teach her horseback riding but left it up to her to decide when she was ready. She wasn’t.

Viviana’s pink tongue stuck out of her small plump lips, her lower eyelid pulled down mockingly at her older brother.

Vincenzo’s turquoise eyes narrowed and darkened, but within a flash whatever feeling he had held in them vanished. He haughtily turned away from his baby sister, arms crossed.

“Fine, be that way,” he taunted. “But as soon as dawn arrives tomorrow, the entire day until dusk; you’re gonna be with me, whether you like it or not!”

“Fine, whatever you say.” She shrugged. “I’m going to find papa.”

‘Hmph! That’s what you get, you big bully!’ She scolded in her heart.

And with that, she walled away and her little shoes tip-tapped towards her father’s study. Vincenzo rolled his eyes and resisted the burning urge to annoy his sister by following along besides her. He watched as she went her way before turning away to go to the stables himself.

The hallways were empty, execpt with the occasional servant touching up on the frames or statues that decorated them. The little girl hummed as she walked, her yellow and white ruffled dress flowing behind her.

Viviana pondered what her father had planned, considering that these were going to be her last days with her family.

The youngest of the Valentino family surprisingly spent the majority of her time with her mother, even before she regained her memories of her past incarnation.

Her mother was in charge of talking care of the estate and the plantations. She made active conversations with the servants and the employees to ensure that all was going well. She was also in charge of hiring new staff for the estate and the plantations, as well as being their payroll. She stayed in the estate the majority of the time, only leaving to visit the plantations to see whether or not they were doing well. Because of this, Viviana often stuck close to her mother and was only left in the care of servants or her brother when the matriarch couldn’t.

Vincenzo had the most free time compared to their parents, but he used it to train his body and sportsmanship or to study maniacally. Occasionally, he’d take a break and play with Viviana or spend the day sleeping or horseback riding. On the days he had to care for his little sister were often the days he’d or his parents force him to take a break. He didn’t leave the estate often, only leaving if he’s had gotten permission to go worth either his mother or his father.

Vittorino however…

Her father was always busy taking care of logging and reviewing imports, exports, and the calculations the dukedom was recieving and spending. This included doing taxes on their part and the citizens that lived in the fief as well. He had to leave the estate the majority of the time, traveling to the fief’s ports and meeting with the dukes in charge of neighboring fiefs and the Admiral that hosted the empire’s navy bases on their lands. Sometimes he left the estate for the family business, meeting with the construction and architectural guilds to build new warehouses or stores; and he even would go as far making new trade routes with the sea merchant guilds or building new roads with the construction guild.

Perhaps her father was feeling guilty over this entire situation and the fact that he was always working away from home. That must have been the reason why he had asked her to stay with him the entire day, letting the last two days to be with her brother and mother individually.Essentially this was the last chance for father and daughter time.

Her small sun-kissed hands gently invoked on the hard white oak door, a bright smile on her face as she waited for her father’s response. After lunch, a bulter had come and grabbed her parents or of the room, leaving the children to be alone. Viviana could only think that perhaps whatever they were called for would’ve been over by now and whatever they had to speak about must’ve be important; they had to be in father’s study.

There is only silence.

The young child gently knocks on the door once more.

There’s not a single sound.

Viviana knocks again and opens the door, finding it to be unlocked. Her tiny figure enters the study, only to see it spot clean and completely empty.

Confused, the plum haired girl wandered about in the study.

It was darker than she had expected; the walls were a rich teal and hidden with dark wooded bookshelves that were filled with thick books. Despite three tall windows that were placed behind her father’s desk, the violet and golden rimmed curtains covered The majority of the sunlight prowling through. The flooring matched the bookshelves and there were two white patterned rugs that were only under her father’s deal and near the fireplace, surrounded by a couch, two loveseats, and a dark coffee table.

“Woah…” The girl let out a gasp of amazement as she followed the bookcases, reading the titles on the spines of the books as she walked past them.

There were books ranging from accounting, old heroes tales, history of the empire and surrounding nations, agriculture, hunting, medicine and herbs, martial arts, swordsmanship, the seas and oceans, dictionaries and thesauruses, books in different languages, basic survival, and parenting.

She found herself doing a full 360 view of the study before walking up to her father’s desk. It wouldn’t hurt to sneak around, right? It’s what he gets for embarrassing her at lunch!

The desk was a beautiful dark mahgony and there were stacks of documents that day messingly on it. Beige folders with labels laid as foundations of the stacks.

Ah, maybe playing with the documents would be a bad idea… As much as he did her dirty earlier, maybe playing with his stuff would bring bad consequences… She wouldn’t want to lose any important papers and cause unnecessary trouble.

Viviana stepped back from the desk and sighed. If parents weren’t here, where could they be? Maybe it was best of she went back to Vincenzo.

But she had made it this far… Her little feet took her to the couch in the study and she laid her small body on its assist, inviting dark brown cushions. She then closed her turquoise eyes and drifted off into her dreams…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Her heartbeat was slow and steady and her body warm all over. She shifted her legs, feeling a slight weight over her body and a softness under her head. Her father must have come in and given her a pillow and a blanket.

Her eyes moved underneath her eyelids yet they were too heavy for her to open them. Viviana lacked the strength to open them.

“This isn’t good…” Her father’s clear voice could heard in the study, yet Viviana was glued to the couch. Too tired to make any movement, the child laid half asleep, listening in.

“This wouldn’t have happened if your precious mimma wasn’t chosen to be Consort Rose, you know?” An unidentified low voice mockingly stated.

His voice was higher pitched than her father’s and didn’t carry the same warmth as his did. His voice was airy and mischievous, and Viviana couldn’t help but envision those cliche playboy anime boys who were chaotic and mysterious, but secretly highly intelligent and scarily observant with a soft spot for the main character. Those were the type that Layla favored back then.

Her father coldly clicked his tongue, his eyes glaring at the other man.

“You know that mimma didn’t choose to be Consort Rose, Nicolo.” He scolded.

‘Oh, it’s Uncle Nico…’ She recalled.

Uncle Nico wasn’t her real uncle. He was a close and trusted friend of her father’s, and was three years younger than him. They went to school together and became friends, despite Nicolo being a commoner.

Uncle Nico hadn’t been at the estate since she was three. He used to tease her and make her cry because he “liked her crying face.” She hated him. He’d follow her with his dumb grin, acting as if he wasn’t the one poking he sizes when she wasn’t looking and stepping on her dress. He’d throw her high up in the sky and scare the daylights out of her by hiding behind corners. Then he’d always gave her candies as if that would make up for her trauma of high heights. He suddenly have her a large bag of candy one day and she didn’t see him again… Until now, she guessed… Well, she couldn’t exactly see him…

The young child recalled his long light brown hair that he tied in a low knot behind his head and his honey colored eyes. Uncle Nico had a scruffy chin on that pale face that he kept running against her chubby cheeks, totally ignoring her cries when she was younger. He had long limbs and broad shoulders, and used them to his advantage without hesitation. He’d throw her up on his shoulders and run full speed in the courtyards, giving her motion sickness. Viviana supposed he would be handsome, if it wasn’t for his attitude.

Judging from where she heard his voice, her uncle must’ve been sitting in the loveseat to her right.

“I was just messing around, Vitto.” Nicolo sung, leaning his chin into his hand that supported the weight of his head, thanks to the armrest.

“We should lay low for now. The idea of the entire imperial court investigating the background of the Consort Rose their own prized crown prince has chosen as protocol, only then to find out that her family is the continent’s number one supplier of opium and cannabis isn’t very pretty.” An unidentified voice chimed in. It was deep and gruff, as if the man speaking was a gigantic bodybuilder. Judging from the position of his voice, he sat in the loveseat to her left.

Viviana paled. Her heart stopped pumping blood through her arteries, her veins growing frosty.

Uh, what in the actual fuck?! Opium and cannabis?! And who the fuck is this stranger saying this shit?!

‘This… This must be a dream… Please be a dream…’ She prayed.

“We can’t do that, all the goods in the warehouses would go bad by the time mimma becomes empress.” Another retorted. His voice was clear and filled with authority, colder and lower pitched than her father’s.

This voice was a voice that Viviana recognized.

It was Duke Callisto Crescenzo of the neighboring fief and her father’s best friend. Compared to her father’s opening warm and gentle personality (though Viviana was beginning to doubt her father now), Uncle Calli was aloof and distant.

Because they lived a fief apart, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for their families to frequently interact with one another and the two met when they were very young. During their schooling years, they were intense rivals that competed in studies, sportsmanship, and swordsmanship. Nonetheless, the two managed to become best friends through it all.

Uncle Calli was her favorite uncle, thanks to Nico’s treatment towards her. Regardless of his personality, it seemed as if the older man held a candle of affection for the young girl; he frequently carried her in his arms and made her the perfect flower crowns (something her father couldn’t do, despite his endless efforts in trying to one-up his longtime rival). He even gave the young girl her favorite dress, an elegant baby pink white ruffled dress. It was the very one she wrote to the Consort Candidate Party, where she had nearly drowned.

Not to mention he was just had handsome as her father. His skin was sun kissed compared to her father’s shade of bronze, and his locks were a pitch black that gleaned a beautiful shade of blue in the sun. His eyes were narrow and sky tinted, in comparison to her father’s wide sea green orbs. Callisto was half a head taller than Vittorino, much to the latter’s dismay.

‘Uncles… Papa… The heavenly father…’ Viviana posed inwardly. ‘Why have you all forsaken me?’

Okay, cannabis she could live with. Layla couldn’t smoke for shit because she was a complete dumbass and would find herself choking to death, so all she could do were edibles. Layla was not crazy enough to do any hard drugs and strictly stuck to cannabis, enjoying its pros occasionally. Even Leo smoked cannabis and had hemp oils and lotions to soothe his muscles and nerves thanks to the fact that he practiced MMA as a hobby.

Back in her past life, cannabis was proven to be effective for many good reasons; especially for the environment, for the disabled or mentally ill, and the injured. Hemp paper and hemp toilet paper was less costly and incredibly less time consuming, and didn’t require forests to be destroyed. It was biodegradable as well.

But opium? Opium?! Opium never helps anybody! There are no pros with opium (or any hard drugs in general, remember that, kids…)!

‘Number one supplier in the entire continent?!?!’ Are you fucking shitting me?! God really said, “Fuck this bitch right here, let her suffer,” huh?!

Oh, the gods must be laughing at her at this very moment. Her family… Her family was responsible for the illegal drug trade in this world! Her family really was the damn mob!

Viviana shed invisible tears, her heart and soul aching. She was screwed! She was going to have to find a way to stop herself from being Consort Rose for her own sake and her illegal drug dealing family’s! Why couldn’t they just arranged a marriage for her with another mob family? At least this way they wouldn’t be at such a high risk of getting caught and ending the entire Valentino and Crescenzo bloodline!

“True, but there’s no guarantee whether or not Viviana will end up as empress. Consort Rose is an unstable title; the crown prince can choose another as he pleases. Unfortunately, it seems that he’s infatuated with her. The truth is that it’s only a matter of time until it runs out. Especially since they’re both young children.” Nicolo continued.

“You three are all correct. It saddens me to know that if we slow down the trade now, I fear that my in-laws would complain. Not to mention the fact that my youngest is about to be handed over to the imperial court and we all might be exposed within a matter of time.” Vittorino sighed, massaging the space between his thick sharp brows.

‘In-laws?’ She pondered before she gasped in her heart. ‘Mother! You’re in on this too?!’

Oh, hell nah! So it wasn’t just fruit seeds that were being traded, huh?! It was poppy seeds (and maybe hemp seeds as well) too, wasn’t it?! Just because Layla barely passed her world history class didn’t mean she didn’t remember about the Opium Wars with China, Great Britain, and France!

Oh, Lord! Her mother’s family were probably the east continent’s number one supplier of opium as well!

“So what’s the plan?” The gruff voice asked.

“I’m not too fond of the spotlight.” The patriarch of the Valentino family admitted, releasing a deep sigh before speaking. “News of this has probably reached our enemies and rivals by now. They won’t take this too lightly and it’ll only be a matter of time until they interfere.”

A deep chuckle emitted from Callisto’s throat.

“I see.” The neighboring Duke stated.

“Lay low until something happens? What about your in-laws?” Nicolo inquired.

“I’m sure Meilin and Vincenzo can convince the in-laws until it does.” The gruff voice answered.

“Keep your eyes peeled until then. Report back when it’s time.” Her father concluded and the rest of the gentlemen in the study hummed in agreement.

Viviana feigned sleep until somewhere along the way her brain gave up and an ache started to tear into her forehead. The energy she one had was slipping through her fingers.

‘M-must stay awake!’ She yelled at herself. ‘If you fall asleep now, you’ll only get this much information! Who knows what else your family is hiding next!’

Her body started to feel heavy and she became aware of the warmth her body was giving off underneath the blanket.

‘Noooo…’ She cried to herself, her mind falling into a fimilar darkness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Mimma, it’s time for dinner.” Her father’s warm voice awoke her, his large hand gently caressing her cheek as he pulled the blanket off of her.

Viviana groaned under his touch, turning away from him.

‘Papa, you two-faced liar!’ She screamed in her mind.

“Come, mimma.” He gently ordered, lifting her up and embracing her figure into his arms and chest. “I know that today was a lot of you, but it’s very important that you eat, okay?”

She opened her eyes, scanning her father’s study one lady time. There indeed was a pillow and a blanket where she had laid down on the couch, but there was no trace of the three men her father had spoken to anywhere. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.

Her father softly rubbing her back, slightly swaying his hips.

She purred in agreement to his last statement and his touch, letting this father-daughter moment last and basking in it.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before her father left the study and began their journey to the dining room.

Though she knew that her father without a doubt loved her with every ounce of his heart, the previous events had yet to settle into her heart. How could she possibly be able to live peacefully in this lifetime? Her life and everyone around her will always be in danger as the daughter of the man responsible for the illegal drug trade and as the spouse of the future emperor.

There was no exit.

Was there a way to be able to live peacefully? No. Should she learn to defend herself? She most definitely would have to. Would they let her train when she gets sent to the Rose Palace?

A shiver of disgust tingled down her back. Ugh, she didn’t even want to think about that terrible place at the moment!

There had to be a way out of this situation… But how could she convince the petty prince out of this arrangement?

The young girl’s pupils flared, thoughts rampaging inside the little plum head of her’s. Like a raging storm at sea, waves of ideas clashed against one another. They collided and blended into each other, destroying any wave of idea weaker than them in the process. It felt like hours until she finally reached the shores of the island of answers and solutions.

A sneer slowly graced her lips as her turquoise eyes glittered with a scheming mischief and a dark brooding revenge.

In Chamber of Roses Viviana was the villainess. She wasn’t a terrible or cruel one, if you ignore the part where she attempts to murder the heroine. However, she did not torture the poor Sara. She spat insults and harassed her, but never leaving a dark or deep cut of on the heroine’s heart. Scratches, they were; but never lacerations or stab wounds. She only died because she committed attempted murder.

All she had to do in this lifetime was… Be the villainous villainess! Oh, she’ll bully the petty prince and show him who the boss is! Bully him so bad that he’ll think twice about his decison and take the title of Consort Rose from her! That’s all she had to do!

… And not attempt murder, musn’t forget about that.

And then she’ll be able to return to her family, even if she was a mafia enabler!

Okay, maybe she’ll just run away…

Yes! Excellent! Let’s run away from our problems! Say what you want about running away from your problems; life is an adventure! You can’t get anywhere if you stay in one spot forever! *Run, let wounds tear apart your feet! At least you can smile when you look at your problems falling short behind you!(2)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Not too long after the family of four were seated in the dining room, a bulter had pulled the patriarch to the hallway, leaving the rest of the family waiting away in anxiety and uneasiness.

‘How odd…’ Viviana noted.

Viviana stared at her empty plate. A mutual agreement came between the three of them at they would only start dinner if they were all present, she only had day more days and two more nights with her family after all.

Maybe her father wouldn’t take so long.

She was wrong.

Half an hour passed when Vittorino finally returned at his family table, his thick and sharp brows furrowed and his finger pitching the bridge of his nose.

Meilin worriedly placed her petite hand over her husband’s arm, before asking him what the problem was.

Vincenzo had chosen to sit next to Viviana this time, and he anxiously clutched his larger hand over her’s.

Whatever news they had just recieved, it wasn’t any good.

Did it have to do with something with the… family business? Maybe something went wrong at one of the secret plantations? Or maybe the secret warehouses? Did… Did someone die? An attack from a rival gang?!

Viviana’s thoughts are interrupted when get father opens his mouth.

“His imperial highness, Emperor Aeturnus, has captured the perperator that attacked mimma and his royal highness, the crown prince, the day of the Consort Candidate Party. There is a set execution date for the criminal.” Vittorino sighed, leaning into his wife’s touch. He placed his arm over the ledge of the arm of the chair, and massaged his forehead tiredlessly.

Meilin gasped and her dark eyes widened. How could this news cause her dear husband any discomfort?

“But isn’t that good, dear?” Meilin’s soft voice filled the tense air.

Maybe now Viviana didn’t have to go to the Rose Palace anymore. After all, she did get attacked there in the first place. It made absolutely no sense to send her to the place where her life had nearly been taken. If anything, the emperor should have realized that this was a special case and perhaps would veto his heir’s decison.

“Under different circumstances, yes.” Vittorino replied. “But the assassin underwent a thorough investigation by the Imperial Justice Task Force and they have found multiple accomplices. His imperial highness released an edict: Consort Rose is to be moved into the Anemone Palace as soon as possible.”

Now, wait a darn diddly minute.

Reality is coming back here now.

She was just messing around with the whole villainous villainess and the bullying thing! Honest to God! So please don’t throw her into the fires of hell just yet!

And Viviana couldn’t remember any of this happening in the game! Wasn’t this… Too… Too serious? Too well written to be a game for adolescent girls who only cared about handsome 2D ikemen who whispered sweet nothings and fondled over their character insert???

The whole thing with the drug trade and the attempted assassination were out of line for Chamber of Roses for sure…

Not to mention being moved to the Anemone Palace! The Anemone Palace was the residence granted to only the crown princes of Asor Canina. It was lavish (like every other imperial and royal estate), but Viviana clearly remebered that in Chamber of Roses there was never an edict stating the move of Viviana from the Rose Palace. She stayed at the Rose Palace until her death.

Oh, shit… Why was everything going off script?! This was supposed to be a peaceful environment! Can she even pull this off with the whole mafia shebang? Or will they find out too soon and probably annihilate the Valentino family?

“Isn’t it too soon?” Her mother continued.

“Yes,” her father rubbed his face. “But the situation calls for the immediate protection and safety of mimma and Prince Athanasius. Despite what happened at Rose Lake, the Imperial Palace still has the best security in the entire nation. Futhermore, as a dukedom, we cannot disobey the imperial edicts.”

Vincenzo scrunched his face. An insufferable fire ignited in his heart, spreading through his veins like wildfire.

“They’re gonna use mimma as bait?!” The boy belted. Viviana turned to her brother, her eyes gawking at him.

‘Oh, fuck no!’ She cried. Not once in her last lifetime had she ever experienced such a heavy and stressful situation! She was sheltered her entire life!

Vincenzo scowled, clinging tighter to his little sister’s hand.

“There has to be something we can do!” The young boy continued. His turquoise eyes looked at his parents with a wild rage.

“Vincenzo.” A low and stern voice scolded the young boy in such a soft yet cold and gruff tone that immediately shut down the eldest child’s anger.

The air grew ten thousand degrees lower and twenty thousand pounds heavier, and as if the entire estate heard the patriarch’s voice; there was no movement or noise. The birds and insects that pestered around the outside world and the fire that crackled in the louges of the Valentino manor ceased to exisit.

The children’s hair stood in fear and a faint sense of guilt, their stomachs had already shamefully dropped out of their small bodies and onto the carpeted flooring. Their hearts stopped beating as sweat formed around their foreheads and fell down their baby fat filled cheeks.

‘Is this… Dad’s real self?!’ Fear frosted in her chest as the thought settled in her mind. Viviana’s eyes began to well up, too afraid to look up at get father’s and mothers gaze.

Meilin looked at her husband in a offended and hurted face, her dark eyes grew glassy and she pitifully pouted.

“Mimma,” Vittorino called out to his youngest, his voice softening. “Go pack your things and get dressed into something more formal. I’ve been told you’re to have dinner with his royal highness.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

GLOSSARY:

(1): In the U.S, each state has a state fair, usually during the summer months. Not to be confused with County Fairs, which are much smaller fairs produced by each county in a state and also operate in the summer months. There’s rides, farm animals, and great food that travel across the U.S and all over the state itself. It’s a great way for local farms, businesses, and activists to interact with the masses. There’s also art galleries, usually from local artists and even from local schools. Art teachers of the state can submit their student’s art or photography work in a contest and gallery. The most notable one is the Minnesota State Fair, popular due to the famous Martha Cookies, a cookie shop that only opens during the state fair and is known for its sweet taste. They mass produce buckets of cookies that retail for $16. Outrageous, but they’re super delicious and they over fill the bucket like a mountain.

(2): A play on BTS’s English translation of their song Run. The original translation is, “Let my feet rip apart with wounds, at least I can smile when I see you.”