The Duke's Daughter Is A Villainess (26)

Alice's mother didn't even show any surprise when she heard Dahlia speak. She retained a calm and unhurried air to her, making Dahlia feel pleasantly relaxed.

"It's alright, Miss. I can escort you to where you need to go."

Dahlia let Alice's mother lead her back in the direction she came, and though she didn't speak the entire time they were walking, Dahlia's eyebrows were scrunched up as if she were thinking deeply about something.

Without any warning, Dahlia suddenly stopped in her steps. Alice's mother noticed and stopped as well, turning to Dahlia with a puzzled expression.

"You look just like Alice!" Dahlia exclaimed.

Alice's mother frowned for a moment, before immediately realising she was showing an inappropriate expression and changing back to her usual polite face. "You know my daughter?"

Dahlia nodded excitedly. "Yes! We met the other day. You look just as pretty as she does, no wonder I thought you two looked similar!"

"If I may... what's your name, Miss?"

"Ah! I'm Dahlia Baudelaire. And you, Alice's mother?"

As Dahlia expected, once she learned her name, Alice's mother stiffened just a bit.

"My name is Anna, Miss Baudelaire. I thank you for treating my daughter well. I'm glad she now has a close friend her age."

Though Anna said pleasant words, Dahlia knew she actually thought differently. There was no way Alice wouldn't have talked badly about her to her mother. And besides, Dahlia knew the entirety of the novel's plot, she knew what Anna was really like. Though she treated her daughter kindly and sincerely, Anna was naturally a greedy person. From the beginning she knew of Alice and Noah's close relationship and personally advocated for it, wishing that Alice would marry him and become a princess, or maybe even one day become the queen.

It wasn't as if Anna had to suffer throughout her life. She lived comfortably, and so did Alice, it was just that she couldn't help wanting more. Just imagining her family becoming royalty was enough to excite her. Therefore it would make sense that she wouldn't like Dahlia, a person that she would see as an obstacle blocking her daughter from becoming a princess and achieving everything she could never get herself.

While Anna was properly considering how to treat Dahlia, Dahlia had already fished out an item from her pocket and tied it around one of Anna's fingers. Anna felt nothing and didn't notice anything change, except she suddenly felt strangely compelled to get angry at this girl in front of her.

Dahlia took a moment to brace herself for what was coming, before she let out a deafening screech. Anna all of a sudden leapt towards Dahlia and wrapped her hands around Dahlia's neck, attempting to choke her.

[Host!!!! This is what you used the 'Puppeteer' string for?????]

~Yep.

[If you just wanted to kill yourself why did you have to do it this way???]

~I'm not trying to kill myself, idiot. Just wait a few seconds and you'll see.

The sounds of hurried footsteps began approaching after a moment, and once they were within earshot, Anna began to talk.

"My daughter has told me all about you, Dahlia Baudelaire!!! You're nothing but a whore, seducing the first prince from her and playing with the hearts of other boys!!! Don't think I don't know your tricks!! Alice has told me all about them! I won't let you get in her way like this!"

Dahlia could not even make a sound, only choking feebly as tears ran down her cheeks. She was struggling and trying to fight back, but no matter what she did Anna would not loosen the hold on her throat.

But just as Dahlia thought she was about to lose consciousness, Anna was suddenly pulled off of her. Dahlia could make out Lucas' face even though the edges of her vision were beginning to become blurry. From what she could see, Lucas managed to pry Anna off of her and now had her pressed to the ground, her hands behind her back.