I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Not only did they try to pin the murder of Megi on me, but now they had the audacity to send such a pathetic threatening letter. How much did they underestimate people? Anger boiled inside me at the thought.

Did they really think of me as Bianca Croft and expect me to back off with such feeble sentences?

If they dared to send a threatening letter to me, they should have at least written a proper greeting fitting the time and place. In the body, they should have explained their predicament due to my investigations and provided concrete examples of what they would do if I didn’t back off.

And to not even have the courtesy to offer a closing remark? Look at the manners! I don’t know where they learned letter etiquette, but they were undoubtedly a disgraceful student.

Probably too busy gallivanting around and neglecting their studies. So, they grew up not properly, resorting to murder and threats to others.

“Well, whatever. This probably means I’m on the right track.”

I stared at the letter with a cold smile.

The fact that such a letter arrived was likely evidence that I was getting close to the truth about Megi’s death.

Digging into Megi’s past, scouring the hospital, finding the visitors that day, and investigating the Wensbury family.

I didn’t know which of these had unnerved the murderer the most, but I felt proud that I was on the right track.

“Oh, yes. We’re definitely on the right track now.”

“What?”

Suddenly, Panya’s words caught me off guard, and I looked at her as if to ask what she meant.

“Oh, I just said we’re on the right track. We’re heading home properly now. You’re not planning to stop anywhere else, are you?”

Panya nodded vigorously.

“Right. As long as we’re on the right track.”

But I just nodded, too lazy to explain everything.

“Panya, where was the carriage parked while we were in the shop?”

“It was parked at the back of the shop.”

“And the driver?”

“He was probably still on board. I asked him to wait because I didn’t know how long we’d be. When I went to ask him to bring the carriage to the front, he was still sitting on the coachman’s seat.”

“Is that so?”

That meant someone had sneaked into the carriage and left this letter while Panya and I were in the shop… Could it be that Maria, whom I met today, is the culprit behind Megi’s murder?

No, it wasn’t easy to jump to conclusions like that.

Maria would have had to know that I would be there today to come prepared with a letter. And if someone knew my schedule in advance, it would have been possible for them to slip the letter into the carriage, even if it wasn’t Maria.

Yes. It had to be someone tracking me or knowing my schedule. If they knew my schedule…

I looked up and stared at Panya sitting in front of me. Suddenly, our eyes met, and Panya blinked in surprise.

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

Wait, was Panya a spy?

“I should have taken them off right away!”

As I was taken aback in my mind, Panya hastily took off the gloves she was wearing.

…Well, that was unexpected.

“Alright. Take it.”

“Huh?”

“I said take it.”

“This, for me? Isn’t it expensive?”

“Of course, it’s expensive. Is there anything among my belongings that isn’t expensive? Anyway, take it.”

Panya looked bewildered, glancing at me and then at the gloves.

“Thank you, miss.”

With a bright smile, Panya started stroking the gloves.

She didn’t know that I had doubted her, nor did she know that this was a gift given out of apology.

“Oh, we’ve arrived, miss.”

Panya announced cheerfully.

***

“I’m exhausted.”

I knew that shopping with the Conwell ladies would be tiring from the start, but with Maria’s unexpected appearance and the mysterious letter, it became even more exhausting.

All I yearned for now was a hot shower and a soft bed.

“Oh! Miss, there’s an urgent letter you need to check.”

I grimaced at Panya’s words. It was so unfortunate that the shower and the bed seemed to slip further away.

“What is it?”

“It’s on the table, I was told.”

Seemingly unsure herself, Panya grinned and went to the table.

“I think this might be it.”

Picking the most prominent one from the few letters that hadn’t arrived yet, Panya opened it even before receiving it into her hands. I already knew where it came from.

“There’s a letter from the palace.”

Even before reading it, I felt like I knew the contents. After seeing Maria receive a letter today, it seemed obvious.

“As expected.”

After reading the contents, I tossed it onto the bed without much thought. As expected, it was an invitation to the royal tea party.

“Oh? Miss, there’s another letter inside.”

As I picked up the letter I had thrown onto the bed, Panya, who had intended to put it into the envelope, reached back into the envelope.

Then, a small note came out.

“Here you go.”

Written in elegant handwriting on the paper Panya handed me were these words:

Come over to our place^-^

“It’s from Asel.”

Looking at the content of the note, which was far from matching the elegant handwriting and had a childish drawing, I immediately guessed who wrote it.

“It’s so childish…”

As I laughed involuntarily at Asel’s note, which was so juvenile that it didn’t match the elegant handwriting and had a childish drawing that would make the royal governess burst into tears if she saw it.

And why did that drawing match so well with Asel?

“Panya.”

I called out to Panya, who was behind me, helping me take off my dress.

“Keep track of the date on that letter we received earlier.”

“Yes, miss.”

Yeah. Asel has been helping me a lot lately, and since he’s been donating generously to the orphanage, going to play is the least I can do.

I’ll pay a visit to your place.

***

Trembling.

If Maria were to define Ricardo in one word, that would be it.

When she first met him, Maria felt a tremor at the existence of such a handsome man.

It wasn’t just about his tall stature, handsome face, and fit body. Ricardo had a kind heart that would catch pickpockets for strangers and even refuse rewards.

He was perfect both on the outside and inside. So, it was only natural for a naive country girl like Maria, who had just come to town, to fall for the perfect man who helped her.

And if there was another person Maria could define with that word, it would be Bianca.

If Ricardo was the most perfect man she knew, then Bianca was the most perfect woman she met.

To Maria, who had become a noble of Sprendo and thus thrown into society, Bianca was the ideal she wanted to resemble, the object of admiration, and the epitome of respect.

So when Maria found out that Bianca was none other than Ricardo’s fiancée, she felt both disappointment and admiration.

Disappointment that Ricardo already had a match and admiration that Bianca and Ricardo were indeed a perfect match.

“Bianca…”

Maria murmured Bianca’s name, trembling. Yes. If the tremor towards Ricardo was a tremor of excitement, then the tremor towards Bianca was a tremor of hatred.

The woman she met today still looked perfect.

Her skin, as smooth as ivory, still glowed, and her golden hair shone brightly. Her upright posture was flawless, and her slightly raised chin was perfect as if it had just popped out of a portrait.

That drove Maria even more insane.

“Why did it have to be like this?”

Despite the torment caused by Bianca’s betrayal, Maria was still in agony, while Bianca remained beautiful and still perfect.

As if Maria’s suffering didn’t matter at all.

“I really trusted you…”

Finally, tears fell from Maria’s eyes. Her face twisted in anguish.

Losing her beloved mother was agonizing.

And as agonizing as that moment was, it was the moment she found out that Bianca was the culprit.

At first, she tried not to believe it. She thought it couldn’t be true, that there must be some misunderstanding.

But with each revelation, the evidence pointed to Bianca.

The cupcake that her mother ate before she died, Bianca bought it. And Bianca tried to hide the fact that she visited. She even bribed the superintendent.

Moreover, Maria saw it. On the day she heard about Megi’s death, Bianca came to the hospital.

At first, Maria thought Bianca had come to comfort her upon hearing the news. But when she saw her quickly leaving, she found it suspicious.

What Maria later realized was that Bianca’s visit that day was probably to erase evidence that she had killed Megi.

She disposed of the cupcake, kept her visit a secret, and likely dreamed of the perfect crime.

But Maria found out. She discovered that the person who killed her beloved mother was Bianca.

No matter how perfect Bianca seemed, she was not perfect when it came to murder.

“I will get my revenge.”

Maria looked at herself in the mirror. With a stern expression, she wiped away her tears. Though her eyes were still swollen, she no longer cried.

“I will take everything from her.”

Every night, Maria repeated her oath.

The tormenting and agonizing nights were just beginning.

She would struggle with betrayal, loneliness, and despair over a reality she wished wasn’t real, and she would once again vow revenge.

“Smile Love”