I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“Bianca! My lovely daughter.”

With a full smile on his face, my father welcomed me.

“Father!”

I was just the same. Even though I rarely run, it wasn’t the case at the moment.

When I reached him, he rose from his seat near the study door, and I lightly kissed his cheek. My father wore an extremely satisfied smile.

I was his only child, the one he’d finally gotten at such a late age after not seeing his children for so long.

My father was naturally pleased with me because I was beautiful and intelligent.

If I wanted something, he would give it to me if he could, and for the Marquis of Croft, a man of great prestige and wealth in the Empire, almost anything was possible.

“You look even more beautiful today, my Lady.”

“Oh my, Lord Croft, do you look even more handsome today? Is something good happening?”

“Well, you could say that.”

My father always felt better when he saw me, but today he seemed particularly happy.

That’s why I asked, and my father showed a letter placed on one side of the study. The red seal on the middle of the letter, a familiar pattern, was sharply imprinted.

It was the emblem symbolizing the Winkaiser family, a sword and eagle.

My father looked pleased.

A letter from the Winkaiser family, held in my father’s hands.

And a few days ago, Ricardo declared that he would start preparing for the wedding.

Considering these three points, even without reading the letter, I could guess what the contents might be.

“Is it about starting wedding preparations at the Winkaiser’s?”

“You also knew about this. Well, it must have been decided through discussions between you and Ricardo.”

My father said so with a bright smile on his face.

Naturally, he could say that since he knew I had been eagerly waiting for the marriage with Ricardo.

But now, it wasn’t like that anymore, and my father didn’t know.

“When do you think would be good? Would you like to be a May bride? It’s the season when your favorite roses bloom brightly, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t May a bit too soon?”

“Really? It doesn’t seem that fast, but…”

“There are many things to prepare.”

Hoping to appear as natural as possible, I tried to postpone the date.

“There is the Marquess Croft and the Duke of Winkaiser. Many eyes will be watching; we should prepare perfectly.”

“That’s true. It’s the Marquess and the Duke, after all. There will be many discerning eyes, so we should prepare perfectly.”

Fortunately, my father nodded without any suspicion.

“I’m not saying this because you’re my daughter, but you’re going to be the most beautiful bride in Sprendo.”

Yes, Father. That’s right.

As long as I don’t die.

“I’ll consult with Ricardo again about the date. Is that alright?”

“Of course.”

As always, my father respected my opinions.

“But, Bianca, it’s news you’ve been waiting for a long time, but you don’t seem very happy about it.”

And, as always, my father could read my expression well.

“Is there something you’re worried about?”

“Yes, a little.”

I couldn’t lie to my father, who could read my expression like a ghost. Moreover, if I lied and said everything was fine, it would only cause more worry. So, I honestly shared my feelings.

“But I’ll handle it, so it’s okay.”

I smiled, conveying the reassurance.

“Bianca.”

Quietly, his soft voice called my name.

“From a young age, you never spoke of hardships.”

Then, a hand as gentle as his voice held mine.

“You, who stayed up all night to catch up on the Latin lessons that were particularly difficult for you, who endured blisters on your feet to perfect social dancing, who practiced the violin so much that hay fever developed on your fingers – you never cried.”

It was a story from a long time ago.

Thanks to that, I could speak perfect Latin, dance to any performance at a ball, and become a fairly good violinist.

“So, your mother and I were a little worried.”

“Why?”

“Because you, who were so smart, never complained about difficulties. While other kids might throw tantrums and cry when it’s hard, you never did.”

“Is that so?”

He sighed.

“When was the first time you threw a fit?”

I pondered for a moment in response to my father’s question.

Did I ever throw a fit? No, more than that, I don’t recall ever hearing about something not working out before I threw a fit.

“It was when you first said you’d marry Ricardo.”

“Ah….”

Right.

I said I wasn’t going to be a crown princess, I wasn’t going to be Asel’s bride or anything.

And then, I insisted on marrying Ricardo.

“I wanted to grant your wish when I saw you throw a fit for the first time. Finally, I can fulfill your wish.”

My father smiled warmly at me once again.

And seeing that smile, my heart ached a little.

What if I had to break off the engagement? Would my father think that he couldn’t fulfill my wish?

I was worried. Should I talk about it now? That I don’t want to marry him.

If I said that, my father might do whatever it took to break off the engagement.

Even if it meant confronting the Winkaiser family.

“Yes, Father.”

I just smiled and nodded.

I couldn’t reach out for my father’s helping hand.

The moment the Marquis of Croft took the initiative and declared that his daughter could not be given in marriage to a Winkaiser, it was clear that this was going to be a battle between families.

From the way Ricardo behaved last time, he didn’t seem like he would give in easily.

The priority was to persuade Ricardo.

“Then I, uh, need to see him.”

“Yes. Discuss the wedding with him.”

“Yes, Father.”

Actually, I wanted to discuss not the wedding but breaking off the engagement. However, I could only respond with a smile.

***

“Princess!”

A cheerful voice was heard in the distance.

“Lara!”

Lara was running towards me, swinging her cute arms and legs enthusiastically.

I hesitated for a moment. What? Is she planning to hug me now? No, I’m not emotionally prepared for that yet.

Oh, wait. Maybe I can do it.

But what if it doesn’t go well, and I fall? What should I do?

While I was contemplating, Lara had already run up to me.

“Woohoo, Princess!”

Her clear voice and bright laughter involuntarily made my arms open wide, and my knees bend.

Perhaps that child… has the potential to be a magician…

“Princess! Why did you come after such a long time? Lara missed you!”

Lara, who clung tightly to me, tilted her head and looked up at me.

“I missed you too.”

“But why did you come after such a long time? It can’t be every day?”

“I’ve been busy, so I couldn’t come every day.”

“Ugh, adults are always busy!”

Frowning with small wrinkles on her forehead, Lara shook her head. It seemed like she was expressing how difficult it was because of troublesome adults.

“Why are you so busy meeting me every day?”

With a very dissatisfied expression, Lara asked.

“Lara, look at me.”

I smoothed the wrinkles on the frowning child’s forehead and looked straight at Lara.

“Am I pretty or not?”

“Pretty!”

Without a second thought, the word ‘pretty’ burst out of Lara’s mouth.

It was the expected answer, but I was so satisfied that a smile involuntarily spread across my face.

“To maintain this beauty, there’s a lot you have to do.”

“What do you have to do?”

“Skincare, hair care, makeup, exercise, shopping, etc. Beauty doesn’t just happen.”

Even if you were born with fair and delicate skin, if you didn’t take care of it, it would become rough. Even if you had a beautiful face, wearing unsuitable clothes and jewelry would make your beauty hard to shine. No matter how great your figure was, with a crooked posture, it would look unflattering.

“Beauty is not just something that happens. It requires a tremendous amount of effort.”

“So, there aren’t many pretty people like you, Princess? Because it requires a tremendous amount of effort?”

“That’s right.”

As expected, Lara was clever. She had a very good understanding.

“And not a tremendous amount, but a tremendous amount.”

“Tremendous?”

“Trem.”

“Trem?”

“Tremendous.”

“Tremendous.”

When I pronounced it a few more times, Lara easily followed along. If she had a little more learning, this child was undoubtedly going to excel.

“I heard Ricardo’s here, do you know where he is?”

Today, I came here not for Lara or the orphanage, but for Ricardo. I came straight here after hearing that he was here, sent by the Duke.

“Ricardo is in the backyard playing sword fighting with the others.”

For Lara, it seemed that sword training was also a form of play.

“Shall I guide you?”

“That would be very helpful.”

“Come this way, Princess!”

Lara’s small hand grabbed mine. Grinning, the child pulled my hand.

As I walked with Lara, the loud roars and spirited shouts of the boys became more and more audible.

Turning the corner of the building, the cheers and the sound of their energy seemed to pour out like a cascade.

About half a dozen fairly large boys stood in two lines, each holding a wooden sword. In front of them stood Ricardo.

“One, two, three, four!”

A cheer came from Ricardo’s mouth as he wielded a wooden sword with one hand.

Even though it didn’t seem like he was shouting, his firm voice rang clearly in my ears.

At the same time, Ricardo moved gracefully.

The wooden sword pierced through the air, struck, his firm forearm parried, and through that gap, he thrust the sword again.

I stood still, watching him, as if he were performing a beautiful dance.

A small breeze brushed past my hair, and that wind passed through Ricardo’s hair.

A large droplet of sweat dripped down Ricardo’s sharp jawline and fell to the ground with a thud.

“Bianca?”

The arm that had been warding off something out of thin air slowly lowered, the wooden sword in his other hand dangling down.

The sharp and firm black eyes blinked once, and immediately softened.

Then, he looked at me.

This time, the wind blew in the opposite direction.

The breeze that brushed through Ricardo’s hair blew in my direction.

A slightly tangy scent of sweat wafted by my nose. Strangely, the smell didn’t bother me at all.

It was really strange.

“Smile Love”