I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 100

Chapter 100

It felt strange.

As I watched Ricardo’s sleeping face, everything seemed like something from a distant past.

As if it were a story from long ago, now a vague memory.

When I gently reached out and brushed aside his black hair, his eyelashes of the same color trembled slightly.

And then, after a moment.

Slowly, Ricardo’s eyelids lifted, revealing his deep black eyes.

Seeing the black eyes I loved, a smile naturally spread across my face.

“You’re awake?”

I greeted him with a warm smile, and Ricardo blinked, looking a bit confused.

He seemed uncharacteristically awkward, which made me chuckle softly.

“How long have I been lying here?”

Ricardo asked, lifting his upper body and looking at himself.

“How long? It hasn’t been that long. The hunting tournament was just yesterday.”

“Yesterday? The hunting tournament was yesterday? That can’t be…”

Ricardo looked at me in disbelief and then looked down at himself again, specifically at the bandages wrapped around his chest.

His hand reached toward his chest, feeling for the spot where the wound should be under the bandages.

“I was definitely hit by an arrow, wasn’t I?”

“Yes, you were.”

“In the chest, too.”

“Your memory is spot on. The doctor said you might have temporary amnesia or headaches if you hit your head when you collapsed, but it seems we don’t have to worry about that.”

“This isn’t a joke, Bianca.”

“I’m not joking either.”

I knew well from past experience that I wasn’t someone who joked around much.

“The arrow went right through me. It pierced me completely. But I woke up after just one day? And it doesn’t even hurt that much?”

Ricardo couldn’t seem to remove his hand from where his wound was.

“If you keep pressing on it like that, it might start hurting even if it doesn’t hurt now.”

I gently moved his hand away and tucked it back under the blanket. But from the look in his eyes, he didn’t seem to understand at all.

“The doctor said that it was a very clean wound, so it was sutured up nicely. The emergency treatment was very quick and precise too. Still, they said it would take two or three days for you to wake up, but you woke up in just one day…”

I paused, pretending to think.

“Maybe it’s because you’re in such good shape?”

I shrugged, acting as if I didn’t know either.

But in truth, I knew better than anyone. No, I was the only one who knew the truth.

It was the book that had worked its magic.

“Can someone really recover this quickly, no matter how strong they are?”

Ricardo seemed to find it difficult to comprehend. He must know his own body better than anyone, having been injured more than a few times.

“I don’t know, but isn’t it good that you’re recovering quickly?”

Knowing the truth, I spoke nonchalantly and gently held his hand.

Everything had turned out fine, so there was no need to worry anymore.

No one knew about the book.

A few people knew that Bianca Croft had brought a book to the imperial hunting tournament, which was an odd thing to do.

But no one knew that the book had shone, or that the light from the book had seeped into Ricardo.

No one else could see it.

Only I could see that light, and the book was special only to me.

Well, it seems to have turned into just an ordinary novel now.

“Anyway, I’m just glad you woke up early.”

Ricardo, who had been staring at his own body in confusion, finally looked at me.

“Of course, I’m glad to see you again too.”

And with that, Ricardo smiled at me.

He didn’t just say he was happy to be alive; he said he was happy to see me.

“Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“That you won’t do that again.”

I spoke seriously, holding his hand tightly.

“I’m sorry.”

Ricardo shook his head as he looked at me.

“I can’t promise that. My hands and feet moved on their own. It was like instinct. It wasn’t something I could control.”

“Please don’t say that.”

“No. If the same situation arises again, I would make the same choice.”

“Ricardo!”

“Because you are more precious to me than my own life.”

Hearing his answer, I bit my lip.

I knew that no matter what I said, he wouldn’t listen.

I was the same. I had been prepared to sacrifice my life to save him.

And I knew that if the same situation were to happen again, I would make the same choice.

“Bianca.”

“…”

“Are you angry?”

Ricardo’s hand came up to my face, cupped my chin, and his thumb gently tugged at my pursed lips, pulling them apart.

And then, his thumb brushed over my lips. His fingers lightly grazed my upper teeth, crossing the boundary—whether on purpose or by accident, I couldn’t tell.

It was strange how just the touch of his fingers made me feel so tense. I froze in place, staring only at Ricardo in front of me.

What was even stranger was that Ricardo seemed to feel the same way.

He, too, was staring at me, as if he had turned to stone, not moving an inch.

“Ricardo?”

When I called his name, he flinched and looked away, but his gaze quickly returned to me.

His eyes had simply shifted from my lips to my eyes.

“Can you promise another thing?”

Before I knew it, he had moved even closer to me.

Close enough that I could see myself reflected in his dark pupils.

“What kind of promise?”

His breath touched my lips, and that spot tingled strangely, making my heart feel soft and tender.

“Stay by my side.”

“Aren’t I already by your side?”

“For a lifetime.”

His eyes widened slightly, and his lips parted a little more, as if he hadn’t expected me to say that.

His warm breath touched my lips again. No, his lips touched mine.

Once, twice, and then three times.

It was the number of times our lips met and parted.

“Bianca…”

As our lips were about to part for the third time, he whispered my name like a sigh, then wrapped one arm around my waist and the other around the back of my neck.

His breath was rough. And hot.

“Ricar…”

Before I could even finish saying his name, Ricardo swallowed it up, as if jealous of the sound of his own name.

It wasn’t just my name.

He greedily devoured everything that came from my lips.

My breath, which had become rough at some point, and the small moans that escaped without my will—Ricardo took them all with his own desire.

And so, the fourth kiss lingered.

Perhaps… for quite some time.

***

It was an important day.

As I washed my face and sat in front of the mirror to prepare, I quietly told myself that I had done well so far.

And that I needed to push a little further.

“My lady, which dress would you like to wear today?”

Panya asked as she finished brushing my hair.

When I turned my head slightly to look at her, she met my gaze and smiled brightly. I returned a small smile.

I was relieved that Panya was safe.

When Panya arrived late, she blamed herself for not being by my side when I panicked over Ricardo’s injury, despite being my personal maid.

But I was simply grateful that she was safe and still serving me.

“What do you think would be best?”

“Hmm…”

At my question, Panya frowned deeply as she looked at the dresses behind her.

She had developed a good sense of style since becoming my personal maid, so I was curious about what she would choose.

“How about this one?”

Very carefully, Panya selected a dark navy dress.

It had no bright flowers or flashy ruffles, and it was a very simple, modest design with a high collar.

The only decoration was a bit of black lace on the waist and sleeves.

“You want me to wear that?”

If it were black, it would be perfect for a funeral. It was the kind of outfit I would never wear under normal circumstances.

“Well… um…”

Panya started to stammer at my question. Her eyelids, with their brown lashes, blinked rapidly.

“I-I know it’s not your usual style, but, you see, given the occasion and the place… I mean, I’m not really sure, but since we’re going there, I thought maybe something like this would be better…”

Panya waved her hands in the air as she tried to explain, almost as if she were making excuses.

“We’re thinking the same thing.”

“Right? You and I… what?”

Panya’s hands, which had been waving in the air, stopped suddenly. Her eyes blinked rapidly again.

My personal maid had a rather cute side to her.

“You’ve shown good taste by suggesting that dress, so I’ll give you a bonus. Make sure to collect it from the steward before you go home today.”

“R-really?”

“Do you think I would lie to you?”

“No!”

Panya shook her head so hard it looked like it might fall off.

“The shoes will be those ones. No need for jewelry. Ah! But the dress is too plain, so I’ll need to add a brooch. Keep the makeup light. My hair should be neat and tidy.”

“Yes, my lady!”

Panya, who had been standing there with a look of delight, quickly got to work.

As Panya suggested, I needed to look modest and unadorned for this occasion.

I had to show, even in my appearance, that every word I spoke was the truth and not a single lie.

Today was the day of Viscount Klein Wensbury’s trial.