CHAPTER 08
There was no mistaking it – it was Arahan. The same man who had danced the first dance with me yesterday! I should have recognized his voice the moment I heard it. In an instant, I pulled my hat down lower, fearing that Arahan might notice me.
“…Huh?”
But whether he recognized me or not, Arahan let out a sigh filled with suspicion as he looked at me. At times like this, if I acted like I didn’t know what was going on, Arahan might second-guess himself and think, “Did I see that correctly?” So, I quickly tried to divert the conversation.
“Oh, right! The lady asked me to fetch some clothes… I should head to the tailor’s shop!”
“…”
“…”
A few moments passed in uncomfortable silence. Unable to handle the tension, I spoke first.
“Um… I’ve been caught, haven’t I?”
“Of course.”
“…”
“Sigh. What’s with the look?”
“Pardon?”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize you, Lady Arlesia?”
“…”
Hearing him speak so plainly stung a little. I thought I’d disguised myself well, but I had been discovered so quickly… Maya, I’m sorry, it was over almost immediately.
“You look like you’re wondering how I knew. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize the only person in the Empire with silver eyes. Plus, we did dance the first dance together.”
“…Ha. Haha, you really are sharp.”
“So, why are you out here, dressed like that, with no escort? And getting slapped for a child, no less.”
“…”
“By your silence, I take it there’s a reason for it.”
He examined me from head to toe, then clicked his tongue and shook his head. As I wondered if my outfit looked that odd, I saw a change in his expression. That’s when I realized…
“…I didn’t smell citrus.”
“…”
Did he hear my muttering? Arahan cleared his throat and turned his head, focusing on the air. Could it be that he intentionally avoided wearing it?
“I was planning to visit the lady’s mansion anyway. That’s why I didn’t wear it, so don’t misunderstand.”
“…I didn’t misunderstand, but since you’ve explained, I’ll let it go.”
“Anyway, setting that aside, do you have something to say to me?”
“Like what?”
“…The newspaper. You didn’t read it, did you?”
“Oh, the article about the infamous villain, Elizabeth Arlesia, splashed all over the front page? It was quite the spectacle. First, it was about you seducing the Duke and dancing with him, then threatening the Duchess and eyeing the Duke’s position—really using him to your advantage.”
“…”
I mentioned the contents of the newspaper directly, and Arahan, either embarrassed or flustered, flushed red in the face. He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “You can stop now.”
“…I think that’s enough now.”
“Oh, really? I was considering whether to tell you the small details at the bottom, but it worked out well.”
“…I’m sorry. I didn’t expect this to escalate.”
“Well, it’s a common occurrence, so it’s fine.”
Perhaps my indifferent response made Arahan feel more apologetic. He removed his hand from my shoulder and bowed his head, apologizing once more.
“No, I’m truly sorry. I’m ashamed to face Marquis Vincent.”
Hmm, I can’t argue with that. Vincent Marquis. Anais Vincent is a notorious grandfather who spoils his granddaughter. So whenever Elizabeth does something wrong, it’s the Vincent family that has to clean up the mess. What would Anais, who dotes on her granddaughter so much, think of today’s headline?
“Actually, he stopped by this morning.”
“…Grandfather?”
“Yes. I can still clearly recall what he said.”
“What did he say?”
Arahan, recalling the incident, repeated Anais’s words exactly as she had spoken them.
“‘Is it you? The one who touched my granddaughter?’”
“…”
Ah, as expected from a grandfather who dotes on his granddaughter. Ugh, those words are so embarrassing.
“Ha… hahaha, my grandfather loves me so much… hahaha…”
‘Still, calling me “the one” in front of the only Duke in the Empire. Oh, Lord, why did you make me possess this kind of character?’
Honestly, I’d never truly received proper love from a family, so Anais and Horn’s excessive affection felt awkward to me. If I had grown up receiving the love of a family, I would’ve been desperate to return to my original world as quickly as possible. Of course, whether I can go back quickly is questionable, but there were moments when I might have ended up dead without realizing it due to my actions.
I hadn’t come out with a particular purpose, but now that I was out, I thought I might as well check out where Osborne usually visits to find out about the tailor’s shop. However, since everything had gone awry, I decided to head back home, so I asked Arahan.
“…Hahaha, are you going back to the mansion now, Duke?”
“My schedule’s done, so I plan to make other arrangements.”
“…?? Other arrangements?”
“Yes, I’m thinking of taking a walk around the city with you.”
“Huh? Suddenly…?”
What do you mean by suddenly? How close are we for you to say that? My goal is to become the villainess and return to my original world as quickly as possible. I don’t want to get involved with you!! If I had to get involved, it should be with the Emperor!
“Oh my, I wonder if your eardrums were damaged from the slap earlier and you can’t hear well—let me say it again…”
“Oh, I just remembered I have other things to do!!”
“Are you rejecting me now?”
“…Well, since you’ve already made full use of me, I ask for your understanding.”
“Hm, I see. If you’re fine with it, I was planning to visit the most famous dessert shop in the city.”
“…”
Elizabeth loves desserts. And it’s the same for me, even though I’ve taken over her body. The problem is I don’t have any money, so I can’t buy desserts!! Why would you try to tempt me with desserts of all things!! I was originally planning to check out the tailor’s shop Osborne visits and explore the town more to familiarize myself with the area… but now…
“What a shame.”
And my body, which hadn’t eaten breakfast, couldn’t refuse Arahan’s suggestion. It wasn’t because I was hungry, not at all. I was just using it as an excuse because my original goal was to gather information about the dessert shop. Probably.
“…Next time, I won’t fall for desserts, I swear.”
“…Pfft, understood. I’ll make sure to remember. Now, let’s go.”
Arahan, extending his hand as if to escort me, was met with my refusal. Seeing his surprise, I gestured at my outfit, as if to say, “Look at what I’m wearing.” Understanding, he nodded and didn’t walk ahead of me but instead matched my pace.
“By the way, what brings you to the town?”
“I had something to do at the salon, and I happened to witness that scene earlier.”
I asked the question I had been wondering about since earlier. The answer was clear. He was definitely there to buy a gift for Osborne.
Though I had left the ball early, I remembered. After our first dance, Osborne had headed towards the Emperor, who was now dancing with him.
Among the many people, the Emperor, Arahan, and Osborne, the novel’s protagonist, stood out the most. It wasn’t me, dressed in the most extravagant clothes with the most eye-catching hair color. They stood out the brightest, and that said it all.
As for me, I had to annoy Osborne while sending unwanted advances to the Emperor to win his love, but Arahan was clearly supposed to protect Osborne and fall in love with him. So, the reason he went to the salon was surely because of Osborne.
“More importantly, is your cheek okay?”
“Ah, well…”
I almost said, “I’m used to it,” but luckily, I held myself back. It probably wasn’t something Elizabeth, who had been showered with love from her grandfather and father, was used to—being slapped.
“Then, Duke, who were you planning to give a gift to, going all the way to the salon?”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“Pardon?”
No, if I already knew, I wouldn’t ask. Obviously, I’m asking because I don’t know.
“I clearly mentioned I was planning to visit the Young Lady’s mansion.”
“Ah…? Didn’t you just need to see your father for something?”
When I asked innocently, Arahan sighed deeply, shook his head slightly, and then said something shocking.
“It’s for the Young Lady’s clothes. So, I was on my way to inform her.”
“…What? I think I heard that wrong.”
“Please don’t ask me to say it again. I’m embarrassed.”
Seeing Arahan turn his face slightly red to hide his embarrassment, I realized. Oh, this is a big mess. This is a huge mess. Mom, my one little sneeze has ruined the original plot. What should I do?
Right, this must be a gesture of apology for the story that was heavily featured in the newspaper. In that case, receiving clothes of that level wouldn’t seem so strange, right?
“Still, I must ask, when you go to pick up the clothes, please come in that current outfit…”
“Are you worried about rumors?”
“…That too, but I also think it might make the headlines again.”
How considerate he is. It’s as if he’s determined not to cause any trouble behind us. If we get featured in the news this time, the paparazzi of this era will probably start investigating our relationship, getting all worked up trying to find a scoop, and rumors and fabricated scandals about me or Arahan would flood out like a waterfall.
As for me, I’m used to being called a villain, but Arahan isn’t. So, to avoid leaving even a single problem behind, it seems like he’s trying to keep everything clean for his own sake. It seems like his advice is to disguise myself and pick up the clothes in this state. As much as I want to get back at him for using me, I can’t afford to make things worse, so I decided to go along with his suggestion.
