I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“Actually…”

Maria pursed her lips.

Observing her gestures, it seemed like she had something to say, and I patiently waited.

“There’s someone I really want to meet again.”

Twirling her fingers, Maria spoke. Her tone and actions were reminiscent of confessing a first love during adolescence.

“I was curious about his name, so I went to the guardhouse to ask. I really want to express my gratitude because that person retrieved the money I was pickpocketed. That money was crucial for my mother’s hospital bills.”

“Oh, it must have been really important.”

“Yes. The scale of the first festival in the capital was enormous, so I planned to just watch for a bit and leave, but then… It happened. I think the pickpocket realized I was a naive country girl.”

“Bad people can easily recognize innocent and kind individuals.”

Maria nodded in agreement with my statement.

“If that person hadn’t returned the money, I would have been in serious trouble. Still, he didn’t reveal his name and didn’t expect anything in return.”

Maria’s face blushed slightly, and her eyes began to sparkle.

“He told me to help others in need since he didn’t want anything in return. How cool those words were.”

Perhaps recalling that moment, Maria glanced somewhere into the air and smiled faintly.

It was a scene fitting the description of a shy girl in love.

Even to me, Maria’s appearance was lovely.

“So, that’s how it was.”

“Yes. So, I have a wish to meet that wonderful person again.”

“And do you know who he is?”

“Yes. The kind guard at the guardhouse told me. They said that person is quite famous. But I was surprised to find out that he was a very big man.”

“I see.”

“Um… by any chance, do you happen to know Ricardo of the Winkaiser Duke?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Oh, you know him.”

I merely acknowledged knowing Ricardo, but Maria seemed delighted as if she had heard some extraordinary news.

“Well, uh…”

Maria glanced at me, and I just smiled gently, as if encouraging her to speak comfortably.

“Once I debut and enter society, will I have the chance to meet Lord Ricardo?”

“Most likely. It’s even more difficult to meet him without such an opportunity.”

“I see.”

Maria looked a bit disappointed, her expression slightly deflated. Then she seemed lost in thought.

I already knew what she was going to say. However, I waited for her to express it.

“Well, Bianca, do you mind if I owe you a favor?”

As expected, Maria chose to owe me a favor.

“Of course.”

I smiled brightly.

Maria, I’ll make you a happy person.

I’ll ensure you don’t have bad thoughts, don’t become a villain, and don’t try to kill me.

I’ll make everything you want come true.

Even your love.

***

“Hmm… Not really.”

“Maria, your neckline is stunning. It would be better if we could find a design that complements it.”

“Anything else?”

“Not really.”

“It’s subtle. Let’s leave this one aside and try another.”

When Maria went to change into her eighth dress, I was starting to feel a bit bored with the whole process.

The dress wasn’t the end but the beginning. And we had been at it for hours already, just getting started.

Unlike me, who has tried on many dresses since I was a kid and knows what looks good on my skin, hair color, and eye color, Maria had no idea what looked good on her.

Here, the first dress that caught Maria’s attention was a bright blue one, adorned with a very large ribbon on the chest.

With a delighted “Wow,” she approached the dress as if spellbound, and I swiftly grabbed her arm before she could embrace the dress, preventing her from diving headfirst into the neatly wrapped package.

“Ah!”

When Maria, wearing a light yellow dress, stood in front of me, I finally thought, “This is it.”

It complemented her red hair and green eyes perfectly.

Although not heavily decorated, it suited Maria even better. The dress highlighted her beautiful neckline and covered any areas where she might have felt a bit lacking.

“Is this good?”

Finally, seeing the dress on her, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Is this the best?”

Maria asked cautiously.

Even though she had changed into eight different dresses, she looked a bit tired.

“Yes. It’s very beautiful.”

“Isn’t it a bit… revealing?”

Maria asked, glancing at her exposed shoulders and chest.

“It’s a ball gown. It has to be eye-catching to captivate people’s attention.”

Would Maria have suitable jewelry to go with that dress?

It was hard to tell. Even though the Wensbury Duke would spare no expense for his daughter, men weren’t usually attentive to such details, especially those who wielded swords.

If the Wensbury Duke was meticulous about Maria’s accessories, I couldn’t be certain.

Regardless, it didn’t matter. I could lend her what she needed.

Perhaps a few emeralds would be suitable, even though they weren’t my personal preference.

Emeralds would match her clear green eyes.

If the Wensbury Duke didn’t bother much with Maria’s accessories, giving her some jewelry as a gift would be fine.

“Please include this in the bill.”

When I spoke to the shopkeeper, Panya quickly handed her the checkbook.

“Oh! I’ll handle the payment.”

Maria hurried over to us.

Since Lady Wensbury has not assigned a dedicated maid to her yet, Maria personally took out her wallet from her bag.

She didn’t seem to have been given a checkbook either.

“How much is it?”

Opening her purse, Maria asked, and immediately froze.

“Yes?”

Maria looked at the shopkeeper as if she misheard the price, confirmed the amount, and froze again.

Turning her head slowly to face me, Maria blinked her eyes several times.

Her expression spoke volumes.

‘Bianca, I think I misheard something!’

“Panya.”

Sending a gracious smile to Maria, I called Panya’s name, and she promptly handed the check to the shopkeeper.

“Wait! Just a moment!”

Maria tried to catch the shopkeeper in a hurry, but the experienced shopkeeper was not so easily caught.

Immediately after receiving the check, she turned around and disappeared to quickly record the dress amount.

“It’s too expensive, Lady Bianca!”

“Is it? It’s an average price.”

What do you say when you realize that there are dozens of dresses hanging in my closet that cost more than double that?

“I can’t accept something this expensive.”

Maria tried to protest with a worried expression.

“Why?”

“It’s too expensive.”

“Why can’t you accept something expensive?”

“Because it’s too much.”

“Why can’t you accept expensive things?”

“Uh… Because it’s too expensive?”

“Is it alright if you accept something inexpensive, then?”

“Yes?”

“You’re worried if something is expensive, but if it’s inexpensive, you’re not worried? The giver’s intentions should be the same, right?”

“Well, that’s…”

Maria stammered a bit more in response to my question.

“A while ago, I received a very inexpensive gift.”

“You, Lady Bianca?”

“Yes. It was probably from some stall in the market, a very simple and inexpensive gift.”

It was even close to breaking.

“But it was very… precious to me. So I’ve been treasuring it.”

I didn’t say what it was.

I didn’t say who it was from.

I couldn’t even explain why it was precious. I didn’t know either.

I kept it because I couldn’t throw it away. I stored it in a corner of my drawer, opened it alone when no one was around, and looked at it.

I realized I was smiling at it without knowing why.

I cherished it.

“Money isn’t what matters. What’s important is the heart.”

Before I knew it, Maria was looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“This dress is a gift from my heart to Lady Maria. So please don’t feel burdened, and I hope you accept my feelings.”

After hearing my words, Maria pondered for a while and eventually nodded.

“Alright. Shall we go buy my second heart then?”

“Yes?”

“Change into your clothes and come out, Lady Maria. Next time, we need to buy shoes.”

“Wait a moment, Lady Bianca.”

Maria was truly flustered as she grabbed my hand.

“What do you mean by the second heart?”

“After buying a dress, we need to buy shoes that match the dress.”

“I can just wear what I have…”

“Oh! That won’t do. A debutante ball is a once-in-a-lifetime event. A perfect dress requires perfect shoes.”

“Are there more things after the shoes?”

Anxiously, Maria asked, and I laughed heartily, as if to reassure her.

“Don’t worry. After that, it’s just small things.”

“Oh, really? That’s a relief…”

“They’re trivial things. Like stockings or petticoats, or perhaps a small emerald necklace.”

“Huh?”

While Maria nodded at the mention of stockings and petticoats, her eyes widened at the word “emerald.”

“Very small emerald earrings, for example.”

“Well, those aren’t tiny, are they?”

“Oh my? The dress is this grand, and the shoes are about this size. Compared to that, emeralds are very small.”

While Maria looked astonished, I smiled broadly again.

Just to this extent.

I have another special gift prepared.

When Maria sees it, will she cry or laugh?

I hope she laughs. And I hope she’s happy.

I hope you are profoundly happy.