I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Hmm, this is…”

With his long white beard extending to his waist, Matapju, undoubtedly a wizard, let out a groan-like sigh.

“Oh, dear…”

He hadn’t even flipped through a single page of the book, just gazing at its appearance.

“Do you know what this item is?”

Frustrated by the lack of reaction despite leveraging the money, power, and connections of the Croft family, I threw a question in a slightly anxious tone.

Yes, I was anxious.

As each detail from the book approached, my impatience grew.

I thought anyone would feel that way if death were looming over them.

“It’s a valuable item. An extraordinary one, indeed.”

Without taking his eyes off the book, he spoke.

“The magical power is extraordinary—not something you find every day. Among the magicians residing in Matap, there’s no one who can concentrate magical power to this extent.”

“So, what makes it so extraordinary?”

“The magical power emanating from it is quite exceptional.”

Caressing the book with his wrinkled hands, it was a tender touch, as if he were caressing a beloved lover.

“It’s not an ordinary magical power. Among the wizards currently residing in Matap, no one has the ability to condense magical power to this extent.”

“Does that mean we can’t figure out who created it?”

One of my expectations upon coming here disappeared in an instant.

Namely, finding the creator of this book and breaking their wrists.

“I can tell you that whoever created this is most likely no longer alive.”

“What does that mean?”

“Do you know what Matapju is?”

“I’m not well-versed in that area, but I’ve heard that whoever has the qualifications becomes the greatest magician of their time.”

“Yes, that’s correct. And that’s where it ends.”

With a slightly triumphant expression, he stroked his lengthy beard.

“But this book is using a principle I’ve never seen before to harness magical power. If I don’t know, then no one does.”

I had never seen anyone confidently declare their ignorance like that.

“I see.”

What could I do if he didn’t know?

I reached for the book on the table, intending to retrieve it.

“However, if you give me a little time, I might be able to figure it out.”

Quickly covering the book with his own hands, Matapju spoke.

“How much time is ‘a little’?”

“Approximately… give me about three years.”

“That’s too slow.”

According to the book, falling in love took a day for the protagonists, becoming a villain took less than a month, and dying took less than three months.

“Two years?”

He forcefully pressed the book against the table and said,

“If you entrust it to me, I will study ancient magic with my brilliant intellect, and…”

“You don’t know yet?”

“Oh, I still don’t know, but soon…”

“Soon, meaning two years?”

“If I have one year and eleven months…”

“….”

“One year and ten months, then…”

Though the duration was decreasing, it still held no meaning.

Rather than entrusting him to unravel the secret of the book, it seemed faster for me to directly witness the changes in the book and respond.

“Is there a curse or something?”

“Think of it as ancient magic! There’s nothing like that.”

“Okay.”

Smiling broadly at his confident denial, I swiftly applied force to my hand and retrieved the book lying under his hands.

“Oh, no. Miss, this is a precious ancient cultural heritage. It must be unveiled in Matap, revealing its secrets, and passed down to future generations…”

“Matapju.”

Interrupting Matapju’s verbose speech, I firmly spoke.

“Both precious cultural heritage and future generations are important. Of course, your scholarly curiosity is important too.”

As I said this, his expression brightened momentarily.

“But the most important thing is me.”

The expression that had just brightened faded again.

Whether he liked it or not, I turned around and left Matap’s reception room.

The sponsorship funds were already abundant, and for mere advice, the advisory fee was generous.

“Home.”

After briefly stating the destination to the maid, I climbed onto the carriage.

For now, since the cursed book wasn’t truly a curse, I felt relieved to have it in my possession. Still, its true nature remained unknown.

And yet, I discovered one more thing: magic couldn’t save me.

“Alright. Let’s give it a try.”

Now, the only thing that could save me was myself.

***

“Should I kill her?”

My voice, emanating from the quiet room, sounded eerie, as if it weren’t my own.

Even though I, a well-bred lady, knew that taking a life was a cheap thing, I also knew that one could buy a person’s life for a small amount of money.

However, I still didn’t want to.

I didn’t believe that a person could live with a clear conscience after killing someone. Instead, they might see the face of the person they killed every night instead of peaceful sleep. Perhaps Maria’s face was accusing me, even though I didn’t know who she was yet.

“Ah…”

Suddenly, a realization struck me.

Could he be dreaming every night of those he killed?

If it were a war, it wouldn’t be just one or two people. Though I didn’t know much, I knew he was considered the best among young inspectors, having made significant contributions in the war.

Then, the number of people he killed might be substantial. Dozens? Hundreds? Perhaps even thousands?

Would thousands of people haunt him every night, cursing him and pouring words of resentment?

“Ricardo…”

I tried to imagine the scene his vacant eyes might have witnessed again.

Cruel, brutal, miserable, and bleak scenes.

But it was impossible. The only bodies I had ever seen were my grandfather’s, who had died peacefully, as if in his sleep, and my aunt’s, who had suffered from an illness but had remained beautiful until the moment of her death.

I’ve never experienced a place like hell where blood flows and corpses pile up.

No matter how much I read the book or vividly examined the illustrations, I still couldn’t accurately imagine the scene Ricardo had witnessed.

I wouldn’t be able to understand what makes those eyes so empty, not even until my death.

“Sigh….”

With a sigh, I decided to postpone the option of eliminating Maria early.

Killing her, who hadn’t done anything yet, felt like a villainous act, and that alone was one reason.

If I truly became a villain, it might align with what the book wanted.

“But that’s not an option.”

Muttering to myself, I gazed at the desk calendar.

One week ahead.

The time left until the fateful meeting of Ricardo and Maria on the day of Saint George, as mentioned in the book, was all that remained.

“What if I prevent them from meeting?”

Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind.

What if they never meet? Can one fall in love with someone they haven’t met?

I urgently summoned a maid by shaking a bell.

One, two, three…

“Why are you so slow?”

“Yes!”

With a loud shout, I rose from my seat. As I did, the door opened abruptly, revealing the maid, whose breath was visible in the chilly air.

“Prepare the carriage.”

“Yes!”

Without asking for the destination, the maid ran out the same way she came.

Following her as she dashed away, I also stepped out of the room.

Although I walked very slowly, the entrance was still unprepared for the carriage.

Heek, when I looked at the maid standing next to me, she hadn’t caught her breath yet, and her eyes widened when they met mine. I could see her struggling to breathe.

Well, I’ve done my best, so I’ll let it slide.

“Where is Panya?”

“Yes?”

“Isn’t there a maid named Panya among the maids?”

“Yes, there is.”

“I’ll take her with me.”

“What?”

In an instant, the maid’s expression turned pale.

“Did I do something wrong, miss?”

The maid, with a face on the verge of tears, spoke.

“I don’t know what it is, but I apologize. Please forgive me just this once.”

Now, her voice was trembling as she clasped her hands together.

It seemed like it would take a bit more time for my image to improve within the mansion.

“You haven’t done anything wrong. I just want to go with Panya.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“You won’t fire me?”

“I won’t.”

“…Really?”

Perhaps finding my words unbelievable, she asked very cautiously.

“You.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Do you do your job well or not?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t fire people who do their job well. So tell me, are you good at your job or not?”

“I’m good! I’m really good! I’m the fastest runner in the mansion. That’s why I became in charge of you, miss. And I can chop onions without crying. Also, I…”

“That’s enough.”

Interrupting the maid, who seemed like she was about to endlessly list her skills, I said,

“If you do your job well, you can keep working at Croft Castle. So, can you call Panya with your excellent running skills before the carriage arrives?”

“Yes!”

Nodding energetically, the maid, with the same enthusiasm, ran into the mansion before Panya arrived.

“To Duke Winkaiser.”

Before Panya arrived, the carriage came first. After telling the coachman the destination, I got on the carriage.

One, two, three…

“You’re late!”

Panya, who rushed over, hurriedly boarded the carriage.

“Alright.”

As if my response signaled something, the carriage slowly began to move.

“Were you looking for me, miss?”

Looking at Panya with a slightly frightened expression, I stared at her.

It was an ordinary face.

Her chestnut-colored hair, neatly tied like all the maids in our house, framed her face. She had round brown eyes, a slightly flat nose, and plump lips—a very ordinary girl.

However, she was also the only one who placed flowers on my grave after I died.

Well, it was a story only existing in the yet-to-happen pages of the book.

“From now on, you’ll be my exclusive maid.”

“M-me?”

“Yeah. You might have to stay later after work, but your salary will increase. Um, maybe double?”

Panya’s brown eyes blinked several times, as if she couldn’t comprehend.

“Do you dislike it?”

“N-no!”

Panya shook her hands anxiously.

Then, as if contemplating something on her own, she smiled bashfully.

Like someone who had received good news.

“Smile Love”