I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 11
Chapter 11
“Oh my, Bianca! You look beautiful as always today.”
“Hello, Lady Evelyn, you look quite stunning yourself today.”
“No matter how much I adorn myself, shall I acknowledge Bianca as the most beautiful in the empire? Hahaha.”
The countess covered her mouth with a fan as she laughed. The gaze in her eyes, visible above the fan, seemed to be examining me, creating curiosity about what this woman really wanted to say.
“I heard you’ve been actively involved in charity work lately.”
“Oh… yes.”
“I thought the Croft Viscountess wasn’t interested in such things. Weren’t you more focused on the practical side of Croft?”
“It’s just a personal interest of mine.”
“My goodness, your heart is as broad as your face.”
She complimented me with a bright smile.
Over there, a group of people close to her was gathering, waiting for her. It was clear that they were trying to investigate whether the rumors about me engaging in charity activities were true.
Of course, I welcomed their actions with open arms. The more the rumors spread, the better.
Kind and virtuous, Bianca. That was the image I aimed to project.
“To have such a wife, Lord Winkaiser is truly fortunate.”
She glanced over my shoulder and greeted someone with a slight nod. When I followed her gaze, I saw Ricardo approaching from that direction.
“Well, I suppose.”
In the past, I might have responded to the countess’s compliments with phrases like ‘You’re too kind’ or ‘I’m indeed fortunate.’ However, recently, due to that peculiar book, I have been contemplating my future differently. So, I left the countess with a slightly ambiguous answer, smiling.
“My dear, how modest!”
The countess seemed to interpret my words as humility, and she smiled widely. I simply responded with an elegant smile, allowing her to think as she pleased and not revealing my thoughts influenced by the mysterious book.
“Good evening, Lord Winkaiser.”
The countess, who had approached us unnoticed, naturally greeted Ricardo.
“Good day, Lady Evelyn.”
“You look splendid today.”
Lady Evelyn, with a slightly seductive smile, spoke. Of course, there was no hint of hesitation on Ricardo’s face as he received her words.
“Have a pleasant time.”
With those words, she returned to the group waiting for her. As soon as the countess joined them, it seemed like she immediately started sharing stories.
And I was proudly observing that scene.
Spread the rumors far and wide, my whispers.
“I’ve been hearing various rumors about you lately.”
“What rumors?”
Pretending not to know everything, I detachedly asked Ricardo.
“The rumors are similar to what the countess mentioned earlier. They say you not only sponsor an orphanage but also send supplies to a homeless shelter and visit a nursing home.”
I told them to spread the word, and it looks like they’re getting their money’s worth.
Good. They’re working hard on their end too.
“I’ve become a bit interested.”
“Last time, at the orphanage, you said it was not an action on behalf of Croft but your personal interest.”
“Yes.”
“Why the sudden interest in charity?”
Ricardo looked at me with strangely sharp eyes.
It wasn’t the dry gaze I had seen before or the affectionate one from the last encounter. It had a different look.
It felt like the eyes of a highly sensitive cat, examining the true intentions behind the hand that fed it.
“I have a lot of money.”
“What?”
“I just wanted to spend some because I have a lot of money, and it’s my original personality.”
“What kind of personality?”
“A kind personality that wants to help people.”
“….”
“Didn’t you know that I’m originally a very kind woman?”
I wanted to make it clear to Ricardo that I was a kind woman. Just in case, for whatever might happen later.
If, in a novel-like twist of events, there ever came a moment where he might threaten my life, I hoped that the memories of the kind deeds I had done would flash before him, creating a split second of hesitation.
“Alright. Maybe I never really knew you, Bianca.”
I felt a slight relief at Ricardo’s words.
“Shall we dance?”
Ricardo, who had been silently staring at me, extended his hand towards me.
It was unexpected. He wasn’t particularly fond of dancing. Naturally, he only made the minimum necessary dance requests.
Despite always attending balls as his partner, dancing together was a rare occurrence, limited to just once or twice. And we had already danced once today.
“Sure.”
I didn’t quite understand why this man suddenly asked for a dance, but I placed my hand in his.
Honestly, I enjoyed balls. I was quite good at dancing.
If a beautiful woman danced gracefully, naturally drawing everyone’s attention, she would become the star of the ball.
“Oh my, Lord Winkaiser and Lady Bianca are dancing.”
“Well, they truly make a perfect pair.”
Compliments echoed from the surroundings.
Though I was accustomed to hearing such praises, the moment was always enjoyable.
We moved towards the center of the hall, adjusted our positions, and smoothly glided into the music and the crowd.
Considering he claimed to dislike dancing, Ricardo’s lead was surprisingly excellent.
I thought it must be because he had learned it inevitably and had mastered it since childhood.
I was not different.
Even though my mind was occupied with different thoughts, elegantly dancing was quite easy.
“I love this song.”
After smiling towards Ricardo and making a comment, I started dancing gracefully while contemplating other things.
Maria was a real person. There was some connection to Viscount Wensbury. The problem was how to approach this.
I couldn’t directly ask Viscount Wensbury, “Did you have a romantic involvement with a maid in Ancini? Do you have a daughter from that relationship?” So, what would be a good approach?
“Bianca.”
In the midst of pondering over possible solutions, a low voice called me. When I glanced up, Ricardo was looking down at me.
“What are you thinking?”
The dance was perfect. However, the expression on my face revealed that my mind was somewhere else, especially with Ricardo, who was close by.
“Just this and that.”
“When dancing, shouldn’t you be focused on me, your partner?”
Ricardo suddenly spoke, and it caught me off guard.
Had we ever danced, gazing into each other’s eyes like lovers?
As far as I could remember, we hadn’t. Initially, I danced with a fluttering heart while looking at him, but he wasn’t like that.
He always gazed somewhere beyond my shoulder, or if not, he stared at my earring jingling, but never directly into my eyes.
But now Ricardo was looking at me. Not at some part of my earring or headpiece, but directly into my eyes.
“It’s okay now.”
Ricardo, having met my eyes and taken a few more steps, said that.
Something was off.
His expression was soft.
His eyes weren’t dry.
His voice wasn’t parched.
Things that would have seemed normal for anyone else felt strange when they harmonized with Ricardo.
He wasn’t the Ricardo I knew…
“Bianca.”
Though it sounded like a whispered murmur, Ricardo’s voice delicately pierced my ears.
If it wasn’t an illusion, Ricardo, who called my name, was invading my personal space more, inching closer towards me.
Not just our joined hands, but his forearm and mine were pressed tighter. His thigh lightly brushed against the edge of my skirt, and my chest felt closer to his abdomen.
The music stopped.
No, the orchestra was still playing. The sound of the music just didn’t reach my ears. Instead, what I heard was his breathing and my own.
“You’re beautiful today.”
Ricardo whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to my ear.
His low voice circled my ear, gently licking my earlobe, and when it finally crawled into my earlobe and I realized what he meant, I almost stopped dead in my tracks.
Ricardo had never, not once, said such words to me. Wondering what on earth was happening, I lifted my head to look at him.
At that moment, a hint of confusion passed over Ricardo’s face as our eyes met.
“Just a moment, I’ll fix my makeup.”
After the music ended, I quickly said that to Ricardo and left. He let me go without saying anything.
“Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?”
Alone in the assigned room, I muttered while looking at myself in the mirror. Fixing my makeup was just an excuse; in reality, I had left that spot because I was bewildered by the sudden change in Ricardo.
I was taken aback by Ricardo’s unfamiliar expression and demeanor. Moreover, the fact that it happened at this moment made it even more surprising.
“No way…”
I scrutinized myself in the mirror. Today’s makeup was perfect, and the beautiful woman in the mirror was flawless.
“Could it be because I look so beautiful today that he’s starting to feel attracted to me…?”
As I uttered the word ‘perhaps’ that had lingered in my mind, it suddenly sounded like a low-grade joke coming out of my mouth.
We had been engaged for over ten years. Though not every day, we saw each other at least twice a month, if not more. Since my debutante ball, we have always attended events, big and small, together.
Even on days other than today, my makeup was always flawless, and my dresses always suited me. I had never been unattractive, from my early childhood until now.
Ricardo suddenly found me beautiful today, and, as a result, developing feelings for me seemed highly unlikely.
“Yeah. It must be just a misunderstanding.”
I looked at myself in the mirror with my head tilted.
Still pretty, still beautiful.
And most importantly, I had a completely intact neck.
“Smile Love”
Translator
Legnakra
?I couldn’t hold back my laughter when she said the part of “I had a completely intact neck.”