I Became the Villain’s Daughter – Chapter 138

For a moment, Elia, unable to grasp the situation, stared blankly at the hem of her dress.

The tea wasn’t scalding enough to burn her, but steam still rose from it, and her thighs were soaked where the liquid had spilled. The dress, already worn and delicate, began to hang even more loosely.

Lyla smiled lightly.

“Oh my, my hand must have slipped.”

“…Ah…”

It was an obviously fake excuse, transparent to anyone. Elia could only open and close her mouth helplessly.

Someone else stepped forward to back Lyla up.

“You should’ve held the cup properly.”

It was Lupe, with her crimson hair and matching eyes. I flinched. Seeing her assist Lyla, the latter’s expression became one of satisfaction.

“Miss Emon must not have learned how to drink tea properly in the countryside,” Lupe said.

Following Lupe’s words, the others began to laugh and mock Elia. People naturally follow power. Here, the person with the most authority was Lyla, and the one at the bottom of the social pyramid was Elia. To curry favor with Lyla, people only mocked Elia more fiercely.

Elia’s face flushed bright red with shame. Lyla continued leisurely.

“You can charge the washing costs to the Rosahill family. Though, if it were me…”

Her gaze swept over Elia from head to toe.

“…I doubt you’d ever want to wear clothes like that again.”

She was poking fun at Elia’s shabby attire. Unable to bear the stares and mockery, Elia finally bolted away, tears brimming in her eyes.

As Elia disappeared, the laughter gradually died down. Lyla took in the gazes that had been directed at Elia. She smiled gracefully as if nothing had happened.

Then, returning to her seat, she lightly lifted her teacup.

“Shall we all have some tea together?”

The others responded with smiles, as if nothing had happened.

“What a beautiful spring day.”

“Drinking tea outdoors makes it taste even better.”

I watched silently. I already knew what would happen next.

The episode of Elia being humiliated in the palace garden occurs relatively early in “Elia’s Story”—exactly the part I had read.

Elia ran from the palace, ridiculed by the crowd, when she happened to bump into Alteo entering the palace.

Tears glimmered in Elia’s eyes as Alteo looked at her, her normally cheerful face now filled with sorrow. Seeing her like that, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of affection for her. He decided to buy her a new dress to replace the ruined one.

At first, Alteo had approached Elia out of simple curiosity. If things had gone on as they were, it would have remained a trivial feeling. But comforting her tears and accompanying her to the city to order jewels and a new dress sparked a special feeling in Alteo’s heart.

As I recalled these scenes, the footage quickly moved to the next.

The setting was the palace ballroom. People were whispering among themselves, and Elia stood at the center.

She fidgeted with the hem of her dress, looking slightly awkward. The dress was silk, smooth and flowing, unlike the cotton dresses she usually wore, making her appear unfamiliar in it—but still beautiful.

Her flower-purple hair was tied up with a long ribbon adorned with sapphires and pearls. A sapphire necklace graced her long white neck, and tiny sapphire earrings dangled from her ears.

The playful, girlish dress of white lace and punched embroidery suited her perfectly.

Rather than giving off a city-bred elegance, she had the vibrant aura of someone who ran freely through fields and grasslands.

She wasn’t necessarily the most beautiful in the ballroom, but her distinctive charm made her stand out even among the crowd.

Some young nobles even hesitated, tempted to approach her.

At that moment, the doorman loudly announced Lyla and Alteo’s entrance. Lyla, holding Alteo’s hand lightly, frowned again at the sight of Elia.

Lyla was dressed in a pale pink gown and white high heels, adorned with pink diamonds. While Elia’s beauty was simple and charming, like wildflowers in a meadow, Lyla’s was refined, precise, and jewel-like. It was clear she had meticulously prepared to stand out more than anyone else in the ballroom.

No one rivaled her beauty here. But allure isn’t just about beauty. Aware of this, Lyla quickly scanned Alteo with a worried expression.

Alteo was looking at Elia, and Elia at him. Their eyes met. According to the story, the dress was one Alteo had ordered for Elia himself. To stop Elia from approaching him to offer thanks, Lyla spoke swiftly.

“Shall we dance?”

“…Ah, dance?” Alteo, a little dazed, asked again. Lyla smiled and nodded.

“Yes, let’s dance.”

Alteo felt slightly disappointed but didn’t dare refuse his fiancée. He took her hand and slowly moved toward the center of the stage. Lyla danced several songs in a row, as if unwilling to let him go.

Still, Alteo occasionally glanced around, as though seeking someone else.

The situation was rapidly changing, and the footage sped forward.

Through the fragments, I could follow the story’s flow. Lyla once cried over her feelings for Alteo, and Alteo and Elia had secret meetings.

Lyla truly loved Alteo, but his heart belonged elsewhere.

Alteo clearly loved Elia, and Lyla was only his fiancée. The reason he chose Lyla was obvious: it served his political interests. Bringing the Rosahill family into his circle increased his influence.

From the start, Alteo had no love for Lyla.

Though he had higher status than other princes and the emperor’s favor, he carried the disadvantage of being the emperor’s child by the empress. The inclusion of the Rosahill family bolstered his power further.

His family likely knew this relationship would be political, which is why they had tried to dissuade Lyla. Yet she loved Alteo too much, and her family loved her enough not to stop her.

Because they loved her, even realizing she was sinking into despair, neither Lyla nor her family could pull away.

When Edie saw Lyla crying, he wanted to confront Prince Alteo in anger, but Lyla desperately restrained him. With no other choice, Edie redirected his frustration toward Elia, rationalizing that Elia had wronged them by approaching a betrothed Alteo. Edie even threatened her, yet—typical of romance novels—this obstacle only intensified the passion between Alteo and Elia. Ironically, it caused Alteo to develop resentment toward Edie.

From the fragments, I also learned that Lyla had originally pleaded with her father, the Duke of Rosahill, to secure this engagement.

Lyla had fallen deeply in love with Alteo the first time she saw him—his dazzling golden hair and eyes, his determined attitude, and occasional glimpses of kindness struck her as fate. She could not resist him.

Although the Duke initially disapproved of Alteo, he could not refuse his daughter’s plea, and the engagement proceeded, setting these events in motion.

Watching the fragments, I sometimes wept and sometimes felt my chest tighten.

Her family loved Lyla more than anyone, but Lyla’s obsession was solely Alteo, and she did not recognize their love.

The fate of a villainess and her family is ruin. Watching them head toward destruction, I wished I could stop this footage with my own hands.

But cruelly, the story continued. I had a strong premonition that I would remain trapped here until it ended.

One day, news spread throughout the empire: Alteo would be appointed Crown Prince.

People rejoiced. The aged and infirm emperor was barely able to participate in governance and could pass away at any time.

Now, a young and capable Crown Prince had been appointed, raising expectations for change.

Among those rejoicing was Lyla.

Watching Alteo’s appointment, she could barely contain her overwhelming emotions. Though her hardships had left her slightly thin, she still appeared joyful.

And understandably so. As the Crown Prince’s fiancée, she would likely become empress when Alteo ascended. She didn’t covet the throne itself; she only desired Alteo. Her joy likely came from the fact that she had contributed, however slightly, to his appointment. And that she could stand beside him when he became emperor.

Her family, too, were relieved. There was a custom of sending princes who could not inherit the throne to the borders. At least after Lyla’s marriage, she would not be sent away with Alteo.

The Crown Prince now officially participated in state affairs, and his influence and authority increased immeasurably.

He began implementing policies he had long contemplated.

The content was striking. Hidden cleverly, they were pro-emperor policies, such as limiting the nobles’ private armies and raising taxes. According to these policies, the Rosahill family, as the empire’s foremost dukes, would be the most affected. Meanwhile, the Peregrine family, the Crown Prince’s maternal relatives, narrowly avoided the impact.

At the same time, strange rumors began circulating within the empire—rumors about Lyla Rosahill, the Rosahill family’s only daughter.