Chapter 3
At my audacious words, the hall was immediately filled with murmurs.
“Does being from the Vincent family give her the right to torment people like this?!”
“Exactly. She was even born with the cursed mark of the demon’s foot…”
“Elizabeth Arlesia, the witch. That name suits her perfectly… Tsk, tsk. She’s clearly a disgrace to the Vincent family, so why do they continue to shield her?”
‘Haha… Sorry, but I can hear you all loud and clear.’
If they had the courage to insult me to my face, I might have caused a scene. But this whispering behind my back? That was utterly frustrating. If I were still Isehwa, I wouldn’t have done anything in this situation. Just like how I stayed quiet when my boss harassed me. Just like how I froze when my father ran off in the dead of night with my mom’s insurance money and his mistress. I had been powerless back then.
Ah, I really was such an incapable fool. A pushover who thought being nice would make people treat me kindly.
But now, it was different. I wasn’t just wondering, “Can I do this?”—I had to do it. Thinking of the ‘me’ back in my original world, I put on Elizabeth’s mask again and opened my mouth. She was an aristocrat with power and wealth. More than anything, she was already branded a “villainess.” Stirring up trouble and worsening Elizabeth’s reputation wouldn’t hurt. Not that there was much reputation left to ruin, but still.
“You young ladies are being awfully noisy, aren’t you? Lady Luciella didn’t step on my foot. It was you lot, rushing to protect her, who blocked my path. All I did was ask Lady Luciella to take responsibility for that. Or should I direct my complaints at you instead? Compensation for dirtying my pristine white shoes and for injuring my toe?”
Perhaps my words struck a nerve, because the murmurs among the nobles quickly quieted, and I saw Osborne looking flustered. Osborne, the kind-hearted person I had always thought of as a pushover while reading the book. What would this warm, gentle sister say in response to my words? I could guess quite well, though.
“No, Lady Elizabeth. They’ve done nothing wrong. And of course, neither have you. I’ll make sure to compensate you as soon as possible.”
She said it with such a genuine smile, her tone so apologetic, it almost made me feel guilty, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. She was even kinder than the Osborne from the book. Her expression was pure, no hint of deceit or hesitation in her eyes.
“……”
I was about to say something more when a loud trumpet sounded through the hall. I bit my lip in frustration. Who knew being a villainess doomed to die could be so hard? As I silently scolded myself, a booming knight’s voice echoed.
“Duke Rath Arahan has entered!!”
Duke Rath Arahan. The man who loved Osborne and would do anything for her. Even before the hiatus, it seemed certain he would end up with her. Since the novel was still on indefinite hiatus, I didn’t know for sure whom Osborne would choose, but Rath was the most likely male lead. The Empire’s sole duke and the chancellor of the Morc Empire, his jet-black hair was said to shine more beautifully than black pearls.
“It’s true.”
To think there was a man as handsome as my precious boys. But still, my boys are cuter. Yes, definitely! As I thought that, Rath Arahan made his way to Osborne’s side. With the duke approaching, Osborne, the nobles in the hall, and I all quickly lowered our heads.
“Hmm.”
Before I knew it, Rath Arahan was standing right in front of me. A fresh citrus scent wafted over. I remember reading that Rath Arahan liked citrus fragrances.
‘So that’s why I’m smelling citrus.’
The crisp, refreshing scent hit me, and I instinctively sniffed. Elizabeth was a woman sensitive to fragrances, after all. Was my body reacting to it? As I became distracted by the scent, I missed the right moment to greet him. Osborne beat me to it.
“I am Osborne Luciella, daughter of Marquis Luciella. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Rath Arahan.”
“…So you’re the one they call the saintly Osborne Luciella.”
“It is an honor to be addressed as such.”
Osborne raised her head, her angelic smile lighting up her face. Right, Osborne was the kind of protagonist who could make even smiling look saintly. Even when Elizabeth tormented her in the book, Osborne would look at her with a face that said, “I understand you.” After observing Osborne for a moment, Rath Arahan finally turned to me and locked eyes with me. He surely knew that the person with the cursed foot and silver eyes was Elizabeth. He was probably waiting for me to greet him.
“I am Elizabeth Arlesia, daughter of Count Arlesia. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Arahan.”
“…Ah.”
Murmuring the word “Vincent” under his breath, Rath Arahan seemed lost in thought for a moment before he spoke again.
“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.”
‘Don’t smile. Please.’
But my silent plea was ignored as Rath Arahan flashed a refreshing smile. In the book, he was a heartthrob who monopolized the affection of countless women. Before falling for Osborne, there had even been fierce competition among the noblewomen for the position of duchess. But he had come to love Osborne—her kind heart, her selflessness, and her consideration for others.
‘Wait, when exactly did he fall in love with her again?’
As I tried to recall the original story, I realized I couldn’t remember it clearly. My favorite character was Arten, the least prominent of the supporting male leads, and my second favorite was the emperor. So it made sense that I didn’t remember much about Arahan.
Of course, Arahan was the main male lead and had a significant role in the story. But just because I’d binge-read the novel before getting isekai’d into it didn’t mean I could recall every detail.
Besides, Rath Arahan wasn’t a character I particularly liked or someone I wanted to see end up with the female lead. Though, regardless of my preferences, Osborne seemed to be ending up with Arahan anyway.
“What were the two of you talking about?”
It seemed as though he had bitten back the words, “The saintess and the witch, I see.” Could it be that Arahan had fallen for Osborne at first sight? To be honest, it looked more like he was fascinated by the unexpected pairing. However, his gaze wasn’t on me—it was on Osborne first.
If I remember correctly, in the original novel’s ballroom scene, the emperor and the duke had merely gathered to discuss Elizabeth. Yes, they talked about Elizabeth.
That was because before the male leads appeared, Elizabeth had bullied Osborne to the point of tears. And when Elizabeth, who made Osborne cry, saw Emperor Karlcia for the first time, she fell head over heels for him and began to despise Osborne, who stood by his side. That was the beginning. The beginning of Elizabeth’s fate as a villainess.
Unbeknownst to her, the dress Elizabeth had chosen was red—a color the emperor didn’t just dislike but outright despised. She was thoroughly ignored, and it was Arahan who comforted the startled Osborne by the emperor’s side.
“…Ah, um, that is…”
Osborne, looking up at Arahan with slightly teary eyes, spoke in a trembling voice. Her next line would probably be, “It’s because of me that Lady Arlesia was hurt…”
“It’s because of me that Lady Arlesia was hurt…”
Not a single deviation from what I had anticipated. What am I supposed to do with this endlessly kind older sister? Why is it that even in a transmigration, I ended up in the role of the villainess? But I had to be even crueler than the Elizabeth in the book. Only then would I die quickly and return to my original world.
Barely managing to steady my trembling lips, I sniffled and turned to Arahan to speak.
“I was filing a claim for damages.”
“…What?”
Arahan stared at me with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by my sudden remark. Then, after a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded as if he understood. He probably figured that, knowing Elizabeth, this was something she would absolutely do.
I felt a small sense of satisfaction at my minor act of mischief. Of course, it wasn’t really mischief—it was a perfectly reasonable claim for damages. But to the nobles in this hall, it was likely seen as something villainous.
And so, I thought of it as a minor act of villainy, feeling rather proud of myself for behaving like the original Elizabeth. That is, until he began approaching me.
The sight of Arahan walking toward me made me instinctively step back. Was it because I was afraid of his imposing presence? No, the bold and confident Elizabeth wouldn’t retreat for something like that. Then was it because I was dazzled by his handsome face? That was a plausible reason, but unfortunately, neither was true.
“Damn this body!”
Even as I stepped back, Arahan tilted his head in curiosity and didn’t stop. Instead, he took larger strides, closing the distance between us in an instant.
“Why are you backing away? Surely the great Lady Arlesia wouldn’t…”
“…Achoo!!”
“……”
The entire hall, including Osborne, froze in shock as they stared at the duke’s face, now drenched in my sneeze.
Ah, I haven’t even fully become a villainess yet. That’s why I backed away! You were the one who came closer, not me! This wasn’t on purpose!
“Achoo!!”
But it seemed this cursed body had no intention of listening to my silent screams, as I sneezed once again—this time with even more force—right into the face of the Morc Empire’s one and only duke.
“Damn it, I’m doomed.”
