I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 58

Chapter 58

“Is it appropriate for you to be doing this here? I think it’s time you meet with Ricardo at a time like this.”

“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry.”

I spoke very calmly, and Maria responded sharply.

To an onlooker, it might seem like I was trying to steal a man, and Maria was in danger of being stolen.

“Don’t worry, Maria. You should know the meaning of such gatherings by now. Carlos and I are just pawns. Do you understand?”

“….”

“You’re quite something, Maria. Are you aiming for the position of princess consort while confidently asserting that you’ll steal Ricardo? Is that it?”

“No, you’re wrong! Ricardo is the only one for me. I’m only here because of my father’s request.”

I naturally assumed it was Lady Wensbury who sent the invitation, but unexpectedly, Maria said it was at Lord Wensbury’s behest. Well, given her poor relationship with Lady Wensbury, she might not have known who sent the message.

“It’s not like you to weigh the scales between Ricardo and the Prince.”

“Oh, really?”

I grinned and glanced up and down at Maria.

“You’ve dressed up quite a bit for that.”

Maria was wearing a different dress than the blue one she picked at the dress shop. Someone with Lady Wensbury’s eyes might have opposed this dress.

The dress she was wearing now suited Maria very well. It accentuated her slender waist and perfectly preserved her innocent image.

Her choice of accessories seemed well-considered too, matching both the dress and Maria herself.

Maria’s appearance, which clearly showed her effort to look good for Asel, contrasted starkly with her claim that she was only here at her father’s command, making her argument completely contradictory.

She seemed to know it herself; Maria’s face blushed slightly.

“I have no interest in being a princess consort.”

“I see.”

“Wait and see. I’ll steal Ricardo away.”

“That might be a bit difficult.”

“Why? Do you think I can’t do it?”

“No, it’s not that I think you can’t do it. It’s just that I don’t think Ricardo can.”

A hint of confusion crossed Maria’s face. It seemed she didn’t understand what I meant.

“Ricardo isn’t that kind of person.”

I quietly looked into Maria’s green eyes, still bewildered, as if she didn’t understand what I was saying.

So, that’s why it couldn’t be.

That’s why I was asserting that you wouldn’t do it.

“He’s not the kind of man who falls for sweet things, succumbs to expensive things, gets swayed by temptation, or falls into desire.”

The winds only blew me away. He would take the pounding rain in stride. A man who would weather the storm, if he had to, without a word.

That was Ricardo.

“To put it in a word…”

I pondered for a moment. What metaphor suited him?

A rock-like, silent person? A pine tree-like, unwavering person? No.

Though he was silent, he wasn’t always taciturn. Though generally consistent, he wasn’t always the same.

Sometimes he joked, sometimes he made people laugh, sometimes he was fierce when wielding a sword, sometimes he was tender with children.

His demeanor towards me was not always the same. Sometimes he was steadfast and tenacious, sometimes he made annoying noises like the midday sun, and sometimes he revealed a tender heart.

Ah, I remembered.

The word that could define him in a single phrase.

“A Ricardo-like person. That’s Ricardo.”

I smiled with satisfaction as I finally found the word.

“It was enjoyable today.”

Smiling, Asel lightly grabbed my arm and spoke. It was hard to tell if Asel’s smile was genuine, as he always had that same smile.

“I enjoyed it too, Your Highness.”

“Lies. You already wrote ‘I can’t wait to go home’ on your forehead.”

“Even so, finally, you’re going to send me home at this hour?”

I said, looking at the half-moon hanging in the sky.

Conversation continued even after Maria and I returned to the reception hall. Eventually, Asel suggested having dinner before leaving. It wasn’t a request but a suggestion, and no noble dared to refuse a prince’s suggestion.

He escorted the young countess first, then sent Carlos off, then made excuses about the carriage to escort Maria.

Though he probably noticed I wanted to go home, I was the last one.

“Well, such opportunities don’t come often, do they?”

“Such opportunities?”

“An opportunity to be alone with you.”

Asel said as if it were obvious.

“Your Highness.”

“No, forget it.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“But I could sense it in your tone, that you were going to say something against me.”

Asel refused conversation with a heavily wrinkled face.

“It’s irritating, really. Stop it.”

He was truly the Prince of the Sprendo Empire, constantly spouting nonsense. Moreover, the unfair part was that if Asel said it was irritating, then I had to accept it.

“Asel.”

At my subdued call, Asel flinched. His violet eyes quickly met mine.

“Asel, I have something to say.”

“…You were weak.”

The stern prince was imposingly stern, and finally, he gave me the opportunity to speak when I called him by name.

“I am Ricardo’s fiancée.”

“Who doesn’t know?”

“Whether you’re serious or joking, saying things like this is not right.”

“Is there a rule that people must only do what’s right?”

“Well, maybe not, but if my long-time friend is getting involved in something impossible, then I should intervene.”

“….”

“Asel.”

“You’re really weak.”

“I know.”

I knew.

I could never be a naive and virtuous woman.

I knew everything and knew how to use people, knowing exactly what was advantageous to me.

“But there’s one thing you don’t know.”

“What don’t I know?”

“An engagement isn’t marriage.”

“Why would you think I don’t know that?”

“Because you act like you’re already married. Engagements can be broken much more easily than marriages…….”

Asel suddenly looked confused, about to say something, then abruptly turned to look at me.

“Bianca, you!”

Asel grabbed my wrist. It seemed like he was caught up in emotions he didn’t even realize, but his touch was gentle and not forceful.

His violet eyes shimmered, revealing his emotions fully.

Confusion, disbelief, desire, chaos, and affection.

“That’s impossible.”

Asel muttered as if he couldn’t believe it. His voice echoed with the same emotions reflected in his eyes.

“You liked Ricardo, but you didn’t love him.”

The words that came out of Asel’s mouth were in the past tense.

Both the fact that I liked Ricardo and that I didn’t love him were in the past tense. And both were true.

“So, I thought I had a chance.”

“You might have thought so.”

The words from my mouth were in the conditional form. If, perhaps, I might have thought so. And not now.

“Why, though?”

A new anger flashed in Asel’s eyes.

I was a bit startled by this different side of Asel, who always seemed to blur the line between sincerity and jest and always smiled warmly.

“Why am I always late like this? When I was young, and even now.”

The blue anger had turned into a twilight sadness.

“Asel…”

I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know the reason.

So all I could do was call his name.

As Asel always wanted, to call him “Asel” as if we were close friends. I could only call his name like an old intimate friend, not “Your Highness”.

Among the things Asel wanted, calling his name was all I could do.

“I should probably go now.”

Asel gently released my wrist from his hand. Even Asel, who had held onto me all day, didn’t hold onto me now.

I quietly got into the carriage, sat down, and didn’t turn my head until the carriage started. I kept my back straight and only looked ahead.

If I turned my head now, I might see Asel outside the window.

I didn’t want to see him basking in the melancholic moonlight. And Asel probably didn’t want to show me that side of him either.

‘Why is the moon half today…’

I couldn’t help but wonder if Asel’s sadness would have been less if the moon were as bright as a full moon. Or perhaps if it were a new moon and the darkness concealed Asel’s figure, it might have been better.

But that too was just conjecture, and the past was already gone.

All I could do was quietly leave Asel behind.

“Haah…”

As I sighed while looking at the moonlight that seemed melancholic today, suddenly the carriage door opened with a creak.

“Eek!”

It was night, and since we had just left the palace a while ago, the carriage was moving slowly. But I hadn’t expected the door to open while the carriage was in motion, so I was startled when it creaked open, and Panya let out a loud gasp.

“Oh my!”

Then, when Panya saw the person who rudely climbed into the moving carriage, her eyes widened in even greater surprise.

Though I didn’t make a sound, I was just as surprised to see him.

“Smile Love”