Vain - Chapter 20 New Year

The new year had finally passed by, and it was peacefully celebrated along with her birthday. So there really wasn’t much to mention about her days of leisure, Aileene simply followed her well-learned routine and lived her life in timely joy.

But too much of anything can never be good, and too many days of nothingness soon became boring. Even to Aileene, the self-proclaimed #1 fan of doing nothing all the time. So when her father had elected for the family to visit their fief, this being the first time that he had allowed her along. She cheered on the event happily.

The only unfortunate factor about the whole situation was that their fief was actually quite a far way from their estate in the capital. So the journey on their carriage would take a few days, which was shorter than their trip to Kinlar. But longer than their normal capital rides.

Though really her misfortune wasn’t that bad, Aileene had long gotten used to how uncomfortable carriage rides were. The bumping didn’t actually get better with time. It just became more bearable and she was fine with that.

“Father, do you directly control the fief?” Aileene asked, curiosity lacing her voice. As she turned to face her father and mother across from her. Though, she knew they were lords over a fief she didn’t exactly know how it was run. Her parents deemed her too young to understand, even as mature as she did seem, so enviably they disclose little to no information to her.

“Well, I am its lord. But due to my busy schedule and the many other duties I have to complete. It isn’t directly controlled by me, but rather a trusty official I have set in place. He’s proven himself to be quite capable, so there aren’t many reasons for me to distrust him.” Her father explained easily, finally telling her information she wanted to hear. It was put in a quite straightforward and simple way that it answers all her immediate questions. But she knew there was always more that her father wasn’t ready to reveal.

Afterall, her father, no matter how playful and loving he was to his family, was a Duke. And a powerful one at that, and a person with a title as high as Duke Julius Lovell can’t remain powerful without some level of intelligence. In her father’s case, he was definitely beyond the realm of simply being intelligent. He was a one in a billion genius, and his feats really were too many to mention; from being the youngest Duke in history to helping reinvent a new system of government for Austrion. Even at a glance, she could immediately spot out why her family was only second to the royal family.

And even if her father never did express any of his troubles to her, she guesses his heavy workload. This reality simply strengthens her resolve to never let her family suffer because of her wrongs. In the original game, the villainess actions had completely ruined the Lovell’s reputation. There would be no repeat of that this time around.

❅

When they had finally arrived at the fief, Aileene’s first reaction was that it seemed very lively. And of course when she looked at all the people walking about for their day. A warm feeling grew in her chest, it was nice and comfortable and she immediately felt at home. She could barely even contain her joyful eyes of excitement, as her parents pulled her along to get to their estate.

The fief provided her with a feeling the capital never could. It felt small and close and connected, whereas the capital felt wide and far and so distant. It made Aileene dreamed of living a simple normal life, in a little wooden house, in a little town, with her little family. Inspite of whatever the noble life of luxury gave her, she really did envy people with simpler lives.

There were no scheming, no intrigued, no parties, no banquets. But her thoughts were merely a passing wish.

So when she had finally settled in the small estate, she abandons her wishful thinking and began exploring her home for the next few weeks. Walking down the hall from her room, she watched her surroundings with interest. The walls were plainly decorated with small paintings, elegant and refined. Less meticulous than the Lovell mansion, but she could still see the care in placed into refining the estate.

After a bit of aimless walking, Aileene found herself on the third floor of the estate, reaching a small door which she assumed was the attic. Placing her hand on the golden doorknob, she slowly opened the door to the room. And the clouds of dust seemingly already planning a sneak attack on her exploded in her face triggering a coughing fit on her part. While she desperately tried to wave the dust on her face away.

Finally rubbing the last bits of dust away on her eyes, Aileene stepped into the room. Scanning its content and at first glance, there weren’t much to talk about. The small attic was dark and almost completely bare, besides some cloth draped over old furniture that was illuminated by the evening sunset from the overhead skylight.

When she walked towards what seemed to be a dresser and mirror, Aileene pulled the cloth away from it. More dust flew from the cloth and she found herself coughing and waving once again. Before finally calming herself down from her allergic reaction. She caught her own appearance in the spotty mirror. Shoulder length blonde hair framing her heart-shaped face and jeweled blue eyes.

Aileene Lovell was beautiful and in every single world inspite of her flaws, she was extremely talented. But she was merely being a bit of a spoiled child in her adolescent and in the game, she had already been condemned. Before she could ever mature and grow up to change herself.

She sighed, sadness engulfing her thoughts. Though before it dragged on for too long, she shifted her thoughts away and started opening the dresser draws.

❅

18.) Do you like cannon-fodder villains? ie. Those jealous, always trying to cause trouble side characters

Answer:

I think to a certain degree these characters do benefit the story, but when they are repeatedly recycled and reused constantly as villains, it gets tiring and annoying. Even so depending on the situation, a cannon-fodder might be needed or not needed. So my opinion really is just in the middle. I don’t like cannon-fodders, but I don’t dislike them. I understand why they’re there and I’m not gonna argue with it.

19.) How was your Christmas?

Chapter end