Side Chapter: The villainess' side.
The Villainess, to which she awoke in her office. Many of her papers scattered along her wooden lustrous table she groans, not being used to sleeping so uncomfortably without the comfort of her sheets.
What happened to her side we wonder?
...
A few hours later the Villainess got ready to wear her casual dress, telling her maid to deliver clothes she had ordered to buy for the blonde girl sleeping in her quarters.
She picked these dresses herself knowing that they would look adorable on her figure.
"Today is the weekend. Seeing that the girl is now well without the cold, she should be fine to room on her own."
Lady Evelyn would soon tell Liara who nods with a soft smile, holding the clothes milady has ordered for her to give.
"Yes milady, I will bring these dresses to her when she wakes up." (Liara) mutters in reply, smiling ever so widely, her heart continuing to feel proud. "Lovely choices might I add, I'm sure she's going to love it." her maid would go on to reassure her that Miss Analissa Blanchet would be happy to receive whatever she picked.
"I suppose, whatever she feels would be... none of my business. It is just clothes, nothing life changing of the sort." (Lady Evelyn) acted if she was busily tending to her work but if you would look at her in the perspective of Liara, how adorable she was!
In her eyes it seems that milady has grown a pair of ears like a small kitten while saying those words!
How wonderful to see milady having more friends visit than just Lady Serene!
Honestly, if Liara could... she would dare say she was getting tired of that one but she wasn't sure if Lady Evelyn was right to leave the blonde girl alone.
However, it certainly hasn't been long and they never have a moment to be alone.
Seeing that her sisters are out doing chores, and she volunteered to take care for the girl- their last talk with one another some words have stuck to her mind.
"Milady," (Liara) calls out for the villainess attention who was forging in papers like there was no end for work but then stops when she sees a letter stamped in the royal family's wax seal of an Iris flower.
Her fingers grazed the edge of the envelope, the paper seemed to be quite expensive and even scented.
Taking a letter opener by the side she slashes it open and reads the contents, her eyebrows furrowed being given the news-
It seems there would be a ball to happen in a few.
The crown prince's birthday is in a month or so, the invitations are already sent. Lady Evelyn squinted at the contents wanting to sigh in dismay but she couldn't do that in front of her maid.
"What is it, Liara?" (Lady Evelyn) asks, her attention being split into two, one to her maid and the other to the letter.
She'll be needing to prepare for the party, such that the future queen must be present to receive and welcome other well rounded guests and possible alliances.
"I forgot to tell you but Miss Blanchet and I had a lovely chat-"
"I have been told." (Lady Evelyn) puts down the letter to the side a little too roughly but she manages to calmly stare at her maid, undoubtedly irritated seeing the contents of the letter.
Whatever that was inside that letter was certainly not good news. "You did good work, keeping the girl at bay and nursing her to health."
"I was not expecting to enjoy it myself, milady but she's too adorable to say the least." (Liara) states her reasoning but there was something more that she felt while they bonded for a few nights together.
"She's even made such a thoughtful gift... I take it, you've received it." she continues to ask, wondering whatever happened to her lovely note of a letter.
"The gift is... nothing special." (Lady Evelyn) looks away knowing that letter was safely locked inside her treasure box. She may say that it's not special but… I suppose it's a little special enough to be kept in her treasure box.
"But I am curious as to why you're bringing the girl up so early in the morning?"
"For some reason she makes me want to take care of her even more, and that was only a privilege to my siblings but now... it seems that the little one would be an exception." (Liara) was feeling confused, she thought to herself that it was just the girl's charm but nonetheless she happily answered. "She's very delightful."
Lady Evelyn blinks in surprise, hearing Liara's statement. It seems that she has also been a victim of that strange girl.
In any case she's just using Miss Blanchet in order to make balance with all the things in her life, thank goodness the girl was willing to avoid the crown prince so that's one problem to not think of.
"Milady, perhaps I'm feeling this way because of what she said the other night."
The other night?
Lady Evelyn would wait for her maid to continue. "It was about you, and certainly she seems to know you and your fiancé quite a bit."
"She does? Hmm... does she." (Lady Evelyn) remembers her sickly state, how she felt something was off the moment she told her favorite type of story book.
Anything that would have birds in it, she would treasure but no one other than her nanny back home should know.
"I'm getting the feeling she knows more than she should but I couldn't confirm it, thinking it was all silly... coincidences." After all, she could've really made a lucky guess.
The girl is smarter than she has given her credit for.
"But what is that she has told you about me?"
"..."
Liara takes a deep breath, being reminded of Miss Blanchet's fearful expression that her maid couldn't understand at first, but after seeing the crown prince in action banging the door to let him in and see Miss Blanchet in demand.
"Miss Blanchet fears for you to be hurt, by the crown prince."
Lady Evelyn hears the maid's answer and couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Quite unexpected that girl is, "And why should she stick her pretty little nose on my personal matter with the crown prince?"
"Apologies, I couldn't ask because the expression on her face was- how can I describe it... filled with dread not wanting to continue our conversation."
Filled with dread… how curious, then again Miss Blanchet was for her an open book but at the same time, the girl manages to be mysterious that it makes her rack her whole brain and- something else to try and figure her out.
"She's a smart girl, I'm already helping her get away from trouble and my fiancé is the trouble." The villainess stands up and takes the invitation letter from the table and throws it in the trash bin that was near.
"The spoiled little prince... always had everything he ever wanted."
'Every fragile toy he would show me, after a week he would brag and complain how the old one was so easy to break so he had the lovely Queen give him another toy, only to be replaced soon after.'
How she envied the prince so, having a mother that would give him toys.
Lady Evelyn would remember their childhood memories of being together, started as great friends now drifted apart by the topic of marriage.
None of them wanted it, the other accepted it as a cruel fate but the prince went on and made trouble making tantrums wherever he went.
"He would go over tantrums if not given what he wanted, but marriage was something his parents considered as a last straw." she stares at the letter seeing the last few sentences written.
A masquerade ball, on the fifth day of the month of summer. Please wear the dress to be delivered a week before the ball. We will be expecting you, Duchess Alarie.
"If he wants the throne, he needs to marry me to get through it."
Or else everything will be handed to his little brother of a shadow, the second prince of the kingdom but that's enough thinking about royalty for today. "I will make sure to keep Miss Blanchet, as an acquaintance. She may be of use to me when the time comes, my kindness to her will be repaid."
"If she ever needs any help, open the door for her." (Lady Evelyn) orders and her maid nods further along the lovely orders she has been giving as of late.
Liara wanted to squeal seeing how weirdly she was into their whole relationship. She's seeing both of their silhouettes, something like a forbidden love of a maiden in a forced relationship with someone she can't refuse and this one girl wanting to save her for it!
Knock! Knock! Knock!
All of their heads turned hearing the sudden knock on the door. Just when they were having such a lovely talk. "Who could that be so early in the morning? I'm through having unexpected guests coming to visit with no warning."
"Milady if its the crown prince and his butler-"
"Politely escort them away, shoo them off our property if it becomes such a desperate measure. I would allow it." (Lady Evelyn) was rubbing her temples up and down trying to be calm. She didn't want to activate the pact too early to keep her meddling fiancé away from her dorms.
"I will go check on who it is, Milady." (Liara) curtsies and came to open the door letting out a little squeak seeing a fiery red color for a hair.
"Hmph, took you long enough!"
...
It was Lady Serene Sinclair... strangely she was holding an expensive looking egg basket by her hand. "Lady Sinclair- Good Morning and greetings to you-"
Lady Serene opens the door more widely letting herself in, she was wearing an expensive red dress and a straw boater hat with a black ribbon surrounding its sides.
Her heels made a clicking noise upon her arrival, elegant she was making sure the little fragile egg she carried was safe and was not slipping out of the basket.
"Yes, yes- where's Evelyn I need to come see her and let her check on how my egg is doing. I've also gained permission from my father to take a small stroll today since she promised we'll walk home together." she was a little hopeful that her friend would be able to accompany her strolling together today.
"Forgetting that it's actually a weekend but I know my Evelyn would never dare break a promise." (Lady Serene) looks around and sees that there were no other servants doing their work, oddly suspicious but she shrugs it off. "So where is she?"
"She's in her office working hard, Lady Sinclair. I could call upon milady that you have come to visit." (Liara) curtsies and just as the noble girl sat down on her chair she asks.
"Is... the sick commoner still here?" she asks the question, making the maid not sure if it was out of worry or disdain.
Liara stopped her tracks not knowing what to answer, she knows how much Lady Serene Sinclair disliked commoners to the bone. If she dares to hear, milady has one inside of her dorm- inside of her quarters!
"I will go and fetch milady, one moment please." she smiles, quickly leaving the noble girl down by herself into the couch.
It was the safest move she could do, it only mildly offended the noble girl but at least she won't be slipping whatever unneeded information being given. With haste, she held her maid uniform and made her way back into the private study.
"Milady- Lady Sinclair- she's here to ask for your company."
Well, I guess we know where the villainess ended up going to on that morning.
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