*** *** *** *** ***
The next morning, I returned home in a carriage with Gerlach’s aide, Sir Milen Orie.
As we were almost home, it started to rain as if a hole had been punched in the sky.
Having been accustomed to clear skies, the sudden downpour felt quite strange.
“I will escort you to the entrance of the mansion.”
“Oh, no. If you have an umbrella, please just lend it to me.”
The aide looked puzzled, but there was a reason.
Having stayed out overnight and now arriving in a carriage, I couldn’t imagine what kind of scolding I would receive.
“But His Highness the Grand Duke instructed me to ensure your safe arrival at the door.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be very careful and won’t fall.”
“Understood.”
“Please drop me off in front of the main gate. Yes, thank you.”
I took the umbrella and got out of the carriage.
“Thank you, Sir Orie.”
“Then I will take my leave.”
As the carriage disappeared, I was about to walk inside, gripping the umbrella tightly.
At that moment, I noticed someone crouching to the right of the main gate.
What is that?
It was too big to be a cat or a dog; could it be a person?
As I approached to take a closer look, it was clear that it was a person, wrapped in a robe that covered their head.
A glimpse of red hair peeked out from the black robe, but the face was not clearly visible.
“Oh, my goodness.”
I hurriedly held the umbrella over her.
“Are you okay?”
“……”
“Oh my, this is serious. Where do you live?”
Then, she lowered her head and spoke in a barely audible voice.
“Such a kind young lady.”
Her voice was cracked and damp, like that of an elderly woman.
Being called kind made me feel strange.
This novel is determined to make me a villainess, yet here I am being called kind.
Still, I couldn’t ignore an old woman standing in the rain.
“I’ll go get someone, so please wait here for a moment.”
I handed her the umbrella and turned to leave.
“Miss, you want to get out of here alive, don’t you?”
The peculiar voice from behind made me turn around slowly.
“What do you mean?”
“This is your last chance.”
“What?”
“Go back to where you belong.”
Then she slowly stood up.
“Go back to where you belong?”
“This is your last chance. If you don’t put the shattered puzzle pieces back together correctly within twenty attempts, misfortune will obliterate you and those around you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Thank you for the umbrella.”
Then she started walking away slowly, taking my umbrella with her.
She only spoke in strange riddles, but I instinctively understood what she was trying to say.
She was talking about a way to escape the novel.
“Wait a minute!”
I needed to hear more details. Just as I hurriedly called out to her, the front gate suddenly swung open, and my mother came out.
“Oh my goodness, Liberata!”
Oh, heavens.
“Mother, wait a moment. I still have something important to do!”
“Important? Do you not understand what is important right now?”
“I’m sorry! I really am! But, you see!”
“Let’s go inside. We’ll talk inside!”
While I was struggling with my mother, the old woman had already disappeared.
Ah, I should have listened more carefully!
“Libe?”
“Yes, Mother. Let’s go inside.”
I was prepared to get scolded, but I was still scared.
The daughter of a marquis not only got drunk and behaved strangely at the ball but also stayed out overnight and returned only after dawn!
In a place where reputation is everything, such behavior would surely ruin my chances of marriage.
‘Even if I get scolded, I have to say what I need to say.’
On the way back in the carriage, I had prepared how to respond to my parents.
Mother, wait a moment!
Your worries are too premature.
No one saw me leaving the Grand Duke’s mansion.
It’s true that I might have overindulged at the ball, but everyone was similarly intoxicated!
I didn’t do anything particularly noticeable…
At least, not that I remember.
So, walking into the fountain was definitely wrong!
But who makes a fountain so low? That’s the Grand Duke’s fountain’s fault!
“I’m sorry. I really am, Mother, Father!”
“Libe, what are you talking about?”
But my mother looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked again.
“What do you mean you did wrong? What exactly did you do wrong?”
“What?”
“I heard that Grand Duke Cygnus took you in. They say he carried you up in front of everyone.”
“……”
“When I got the message last night, I could hardly believe it, but seeing Sir Milen escort you back this morning, I feel relieved. Heaven must be helping us!”
“Mother?”
I called out to her in a distorted voice, but she didn’t seem to hear me at all.
“The Grand Duke has chosen you. Our Libe is going to be a Duchess!”
“Mother, what are you saying? That… becoming a Duchess?”
I started to back away, becoming increasingly afraid of my mother.
“What kind of person is the Grand Duke? Though he hasn’t been in Mouton for long, everyone agrees he has a dignified and noble appearance. Come on, tell me about him, Libe!”
“I… I’m not sure. What kind of person he is.”
As I tried to avoid my mother’s gaze, I suddenly recalled his face from last night.
I feel like kissing you. Am I normal now?
His voice was moist, his lips loose.
That languid gaze, the heat and shivers I felt when our eyes met.
The indescribable sensations continued as we sought pleasure in each other’s warmth.
The moment when our fragile souls and bodies became one.
The man’s face, pouring heat onto me.
Haa, haa. Please, slowly-
Beg for more.
Ple… please.
The rough hands of Gerlach, the more violent sex.
The thing that was so big and hot, it seemed to pierce through me.
The lingering memories and desires in every corner of my body. And even his dazzlingly beautiful smile in the sunlight this morning.
“Libe, are you feeling unwell?”
“What?”
“You seem to have a fever. Come here.”
“Oh, no, Mother.”
I stepped back a couple of paces, trying to erase the lingering images of last night from my mind.
These emotions, they’re too harmful and dangerous for me…!
Although I had no chance to refuse and ended up spending the morning next to him, I was still at a loss.
He is the protagonist of this novel.
He’s supposed to end up with the beautiful blonde Leonie.
And I’m just the villainess.
Could my reckless actions have ruined everything?
While I wanted to escape my predetermined fate, this wasn’t how I wanted things to go.
I only wished to change my own destiny.
I just didn’t want to keep living and dying as this cursed villainess.
“Libe, are you really alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
My mother, who had been glancing at me with narrowed eyes, quickly changed her expression and asked another question.
“Then, did you make plans to meet with the Grand Duke again?”
“What? Plans?”
“Didn’t you two have an intimate conversation?”
“No, no. Intimate? Haha! There was nothing like that, Mother.”
“Nothing?”
Mother looked at me with a deeply disappointed face.
Of course, it’s half lie and half-truth.
When I woke up in the morning, I tried to sneak out of the mansion as quietly as possible. (Even though I knew it was impossible)
Last night you were a parrot, and now you’re a stray cat? …he said, offering me new clothes and a hangover cure juice.
After being caught like that and treated to a hearty breakfast, I was sent home in none other than the Cygnus family carriage.
During the meal, Gerlach tried to make conversation, but with my throbbing hangover and the thought that this would be my last day with the Cygnus family, I just kept my head down, nodding and agreeing, before returning home.
“Yes, I just enjoyed the ball too much yesterday. So, he just helped me out.”
“Is that really all?”
“Of course, he just supported me when I almost collapsed in the ballroom.”
As I awkwardly laughed and turned my head, Mother clicked her tongue with a very disappointed expression.
“Really?”
“Yes, hahaha…”
Mother’s eyes were full of anticipation, but I had no intention of telling her anything about the previous night.
‘Seeing Mother’s reaction, I absolutely, absolutely can’t tell her.’
I moved away from Mother a bit and stuck close to Father. But Father’s expression wasn’t much different from Mother’s.
Being the composed man he is, he didn’t make a fuss, but somehow his face was quite flushed.
‘Why are Father’s nostrils so flared? What on earth is everyone expecting!’
This is unbearably uncomfortable!
“Oh, my Lady.”
At that moment, Ecla approached from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, looking quite intimidated. Then, like a robot, she began to recite what seemed like a prepared speech.
Leave a Reply