I Reincarnated as the Villainess’ Daughter – Chapter 49
By now, the lake had frozen crisp and solid. I peered down at its surface, feeling a chill rise up.
“Winter’s already in full swing, huh.”
“Be careful. It’s dangerous.”
Thea reached out his hand to me. I grasped it firmly.
The sky was dark, even though it was morning. I guessed the gloom was due to today’s cloudy weather.
As we walked along the path, I spoke to Thea.
“Thank you so much for helping me yesterday. Because of you, I was able to uncover the incident.”
“Not at all. I’m honored to have been of help.”
Thea gave a playful smile. I smiled back at him, then suddenly grew curious about something.
“By the way, what exactly was that robe you gave Prince Piatre?”
“Oh, that?”
Thea seemed to think for a moment before answering.
“It’s a robe I wore when I was younger. I no longer need it, and I thought it’d be a fun gift, so I gave it to him for his birthday last year. I didn’t expect it would be used like that.”
“He’s still young. Besides, it wasn’t intentional—it was just a mistake.”
“That’s true. But since he’s a prince, he has to take responsibility for his actions.”
Thea looked at me with a bitter expression. I felt that he wasn’t just talking about Piatre—he was speaking about himself, too.
I lowered my gaze.
“…By the way, why were you placed under house arrest?”
“…That’s…”
“Did something happen?”
“…”
Thea looked at me.
“I don’t want to worry you.”
“Not saying anything worries me more.”
“Alright, I’ll explain.”
He raised both hands as if surrendering.
“The Emperor was a little angry. I’d been hiding the fact that I’m a mage, which he saw as a slight betrayal. And… he seems to feel threatened by me potentially taking Alteo’s position.”
“…That sounds dangerous.”
I asked, my heart pounding.
“Not really. It’s just a minor house arrest.”
“But…”
“Really, it’s fine.”
Thea smiled reassuringly. We walked in silence for a while.
Eventually, our stroll led us deep into the garden’s forested area.
“The New Year’s gathering is coming up soon.”
Thea looked up at the sky.
In this empire, the New Year’s gathering in January and the Harvest Festival in September were the grandest events.
Another year was nearly over. It was hard to believe that I had spent a year with him, yet it also felt as though it had always been this way. A warm feeling spread through me.
“Yeah… spring will come before we know it.”
“Looking forward to it?”
“…Yeah.”
I gazed at the distant hills, memories of autumn flickering past.
“What are you planning for the New Year’s gathering?”
Thea asked again, walking slowly. I thought for a moment before answering.
“Well, from what I’ve heard, it’ll likely be quiet at home. I’m still not strong enough to go out too much.”
“I see.”
“It’s just… overprotective.”
I sighed deeply. Thea chuckled.
Winter breath scattered in the air. I looked at Thea’s profile: his straight nose, golden eyes framed with thick black lashes, and black hair…
“Ah.”
I couldn’t help but utter a sound.
He placed his hand on my hair.
“…Thea? What are you doing?”
“Just a moment…”
He seemed to have noticed something and was examining it. I was puzzled, but then I felt a delicate, feather-light sensation on the tip of my nose.
Thea showed me his slightly damp fingers.
From the now-dark sky, a gift from the angels was falling.
“The first snow.”
Thea smiled, his golden eyes sparkling.
The Winter Strawberry gathering concluded quietly. My friends had firmly promised to visit next month, so I waited eagerly.
When Eit came to my room, I was engrossed in a book.
“I’m here, Lala! …What are you reading so intently?”
Feeling his gaze on the book cover, I hurriedly marked the page and tried to act casual.
The words Thea had said earlier crossed my mind.
“Do you know the meaning of the first snow?”
“…What is it?”
Thea only smiled.
“Look it up later.”
“Why not tell me now?”
“Secret.”
Eit, who was flipping through the book of empire legends, seemed unconcerned and shrugged.
“It’s nothing. What brings you here, Eit?”
Everyone was busy preparing for the New Year’s gathering. I gave Eit a warm smile, feeling it had been a while since we’d seen each other.
“The snow is falling heavily today.”
“Yes, it’s going to pile up quickly.”
Eit ruffled my hair.
“I’ve come to relay what Father and my brother said. The New Year’s gathering will be quiet at home—no traveling, only relatives invited. Since you’re still not fully well, too.”
“I told you, I’m really fine.”
I tried to keep a composed expression.
“I’ll be fifteen next year, after all.”
Eit stared at me, looking surprised.
“When did our little one grow up so fast?”
He scratched his head.
“Don’t grow up too fast, Lala.”
“Haha…”
I laughed it off. I felt sorry for my father and Eit, but I had been thinking something recently that, if they knew, would probably make them jump.
After Eit left, I sat deep in thought. I’d been lost in my own thoughts often lately.
‘Wait… if Piatre brought the Winter Strawberry dessert…’
‘What was that white thing in my room…?’
A shiver ran down my spine.
‘…It’s not a ghost, right…?’
I clenched the necklace hanging around my neck like a charm.
The magic-stone necklace, strung on a silver chain, sparkled in the light.
Thea had given it to me as an early New Year’s gift. He said it contained communication magic to connect with him anytime, anywhere, and basic protective magic.
Fiddling with it made my thoughts clearer, more concrete.
Finally, I made up my mind and stood. I couldn’t put it off any longer.
Yes. Today, I would say it.
At the evening meal, gathered together after a long time, I spoke the words I had been contemplating.
“Um… brothers, Father… there’s something I want to say.”
Everyone paused, looking at me. Father’s eyes were filled with love. I smiled gently.
“It’s… nothing serious, but…”
I took a deep breath, bracing for the reaction.
“Next spring, I want to attend the Rebecam Academy!”
Clang!
The crystal glass Father had been holding slipped and shattered loudly on the floor.
“…”
As expected, the reaction was louder than I anticipated.
“You… want to go to the academy?”
Father’s voice trembled. I steeled myself and nodded firmly.
“Yes. To study magic. I’ve already done all the research.”
I ran over and handed him the plan I had prepared: enter at fifteen, graduate at eighteen—a standard noble progression. The only exception was that I was a girl, but girls attending the academy wasn’t unheard of.
There was no reason for outright opposition.
Except… I met my father’s stormy gaze. One… two… three.
Explosion.
“No!”
Father’s expression was filled with anguish.
“It’s dangerous!”
And my brothers shouted in unison.
“Don’t go, Lala!”
“Don’t abandon your brother!”
I sighed deeply. I knew this would happen.
[New Year’s Gathering]
Recently, the atmosphere in the Roshahil mansion was icy enough to rival the Arctic. The family was never particularly warm, but—yes, the young lady still hadn’t realized her father and brothers’ duality—the once tolerable household had turned into a frozen battlefield.
The cold-blooded Duke Esat and his sons, Edwin and Eit, spread chill daily.
Everyone knew the reason, yet no one dared speak it aloud. The rumor had trickled out from a few of the maids serving in the dining hall a few days prior.
‘The young lady…’
Did she do something wrong? The servants were puzzled. Unlike the public perception, Lady Laila, the young lady of the mansion, was kind and generous to those below her. Perhaps it was because she had received so much love from her father and brothers. Her appearance and warmth—reminiscent of the late duchess—often brought the staff to tears in admiration. There was no way she had committed any wrongdoing.
The maids hesitated, then said:
‘The young lady… is going to the dormitory-based academy…’
Ah, that explained everything.
Whenever people gathered, this was the topic of conversation.
It would be unthinkable for the young lady, cherished like gold by the dukes and princes of the house, to be sent off to a dormitory academy.
Yet Lady Laila stood her ground, defying warnings of danger, asserting her rights against the dukes and princes. The justification that worked in her favor? Even her father, brothers, and mother had graduated from the academy, yet she had not. The dukes and princes had a real headache on their hands.
Who would win? No one knew.
The maids and servants merely tiptoed down the hall like cats, careful not to get caught in the crossfire.
