I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Hearing that they were about to have a very delicious snack, the children excitedly rushed out to wash their hands.

By now, Panya would have already set out the snacks and informed the director that I had arrived.

“Lara wants to go with the Princess.”

Lara, who had the strongest desire for snacks, patiently waited for the other children to leave first, showing a surprising level of maturity. Then, she adorably said that she wanted to go with me.

“You know, Princess! Look at this, isn’t Lara pretty? I feel like I’ve become a princess too, since I’m wearing the princess’s dress.”

As she said this, Lara spun around in place, and the hem of her skirt spread out beautifully like a blooming dandelion, forming a perfect circle.

Lara seemed to like the way it looked, so she spun around once more and then laughed happily, satisfied.

She must have gotten dizzy from spinning, because she started to wobble, and I quickly reached out to steady her. Lara looked up at me and smiled sweetly, as if she enjoyed even that.

“Do you like the dress?”

“Yes! But this is the Princess’s dress, so I’ll give it back to you. The director told me that if you borrow something from a friend, you should use it well and then return it. Um… but is it okay if I wear it just two more times before I return it?”

“No, you don’t have to return it. You can keep the dress.”

“Really? But it’s such a beautiful dress!”

“Yes. Since it’s too small for me, it’s fine for you to have it, Lara.”

“Yay!”

Lara jumped up and down in place, truly delighted. Seeing her jump with the dress fluttering, I couldn’t help but feel happy too.

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yes, yes!”

Lara answered with a beaming smile.

Well, to a child who admired princesses, a dress like this, with frills and ribbons, must seem like a dream come true.

At home, I have tons of childhood dresses that I can’t wear because I’ve outgrown them. I thought it would be nice to give them to Lara since I no longer needed them.

They were all high-end, well-preserved, and in great condition.

“Lara, if you want, I can give you more of my smaller dresses that I have at home.”

“Like this princess dress?”

“Yes. There might even be sizes that other kids can wear, too.”

“Wow! Really?”

Lara was even more excited at the thought of dresses for the other children as well.

“But if you give all the princess dresses to me, what will you wear, Princess?”

“It’s okay because they’re too small for me to wear anymore.”

“Why do you have small clothes? We pass them down to our younger siblings when they get too small. That’s what makes a good big sister.”

“That’s because…”

The reason I hadn’t thrown away or donated the clothes that had become too small was that my mother had insisted on keeping them, saying that I could pass them down to my own daughter someday. She believed there was something meaningful about handing down clothes from mother to child.

My first dress, my first riding outfit, the dress I wore at my first birthday party—each of these held memories, and my mother would smile at the thought of sharing those memories with my daughter.

In fact, some of the dresses I had were once my mother had passed down to me, and I still wore the ones that looked beautiful even now.

The dress I wore at my debutante ball was the same one my mother had worn at hers. Although we had to make some alterations to suit the current fashion, it served as a thread connecting our times.

Wearing that dress on such a nerve-wracking day made me feel as if I had a strong ally by my side, and it gave me the confidence to get through my debutante ball successfully.

Passing down clothes, as my mother had said, was indeed a meaningful tradition.

But now, I would have no one to pass them down to.

“Just because.”

Because I wouldn’t be able to have a child.

Mother, I’m sorry that I won’t be able to fulfill your dream of three generations wearing the same dress at their debutante balls.

As I silently apologized to my mother in my heart, a bitter smile formed on my lips. Even this, I couldn’t bring myself to say to her.

Because she would certainly cry, more sorrowfully than I would.

“Princess…”

A small voice called out to me, bringing me back to the present and reminding me that I was with Lara.

When I turned my head, I saw Lara looking up at me with a sad expression.

“Princess, are you sad? You look sad.”

The little girl was looking at me with a worried expression, not just on the verge of tears but genuinely concerned.

“Is it because you didn’t pass down your clothes to your sibling, so you feel like you’re not a good big sister? It’s okay. The director said that you can keep precious things instead of passing them down.”

Lara spoke in a surprisingly mature tone as she held my hand tightly.

“I won’t pass down the dress you gave me to my sibling either, because it’s a precious gift from you, Princess.”

Her hand was small, with a delicate grip that seemed like it could easily be brushed off.

But it was also a warm hand, soft, chubby, and with a child’s natural warmth.

A small hand that offered great comfort.

“Princess, stay strong! Lara is here for you!”

As she held my hand even tighter, Lara said this, her eyes shining brightly as if she knew how much her presence was comforting me.

“I’ll cast a spell to give you strength, Princess.”

“A spell?”

“Yes!”

Nodding vigorously, the child extended her other hand, the one not holding mine. Without thinking, I offered her my other hand, as if under a spell myself.

Lara immediately grabbed my other hand, as if she had been waiting for this. Then she looked at me and smiled sweetly.

It was as if she was telling me not to worry and to trust only in her.

Taking a deep breath, Lara tightly shut her lovely brown eyes.

“Arambra Davisolto Lazentravio!”

Lara chanted the mysterious spell with utmost solemnity and seriousness.

“……”

“……”

And then, silence.

Of course, nothing happened. There were no flashes of light, no levitating bodies—just quiet.

“How do you feel, Princess?”

Lara suddenly opened her eyes and asked, her gaze sparkling with anticipation.

Actually, it wasn’t entirely true that nothing had happened. The moment Lara recited that nonsensical magic spell for me, a warm feeling of love blossomed inside me.

This little girl, who was already so adorable, had somehow become even more endearing and lovable in an instant.

“Do you feel energized now that I cast the spell, Princess?”

“Yes, I really do feel more energetic.”

“Wow, see! The spell worked!”

Lara, clearly delighted, started hopping up and down like a little frog, all the while keeping a firm grip on my hand.

“Now, let’s go have some snacks!”

Letting go of only one of my hands while still holding tightly onto the other, Lara began to lead me outside.

She must have shown a lot of restraint.

I was deeply moved that this little girl, knowing that sweet treats were waiting for her, chose to put me first.

“Hehe.”

When our eyes met, Lara gave me a bright, innocent smile. I felt truly loved.

“Lara.”

“Yes, Princess!”

Her enthusiastic reply made me smile without realizing it. All the sadness from earlier, the fears about the future, and the worries about what lay ahead had all disappeared for the moment.

“You’re so lovable.”

At my quiet confession, Lara’s confident stride toward the snacks came to an abrupt halt. The radiant smile she had been wearing vanished, replaced by a stiff expression as she stared at me.

“Lara?”

Not understanding why she suddenly changed, I could only call her name, but then I noticed that her large brown eyes were filled with tears.

“Lara!”

Worried that I had said something wrong, I hurriedly crouched down to meet her gaze.

I hadn’t imagined it. Lara’s eyes were brimming with tears.

“What’s wrong?”

As I asked, her lips began to tremble, and then large tears started to roll down her cheeks.

“Lara? Why are you crying, hmm? Did I say something wrong?”

I asked as I wiped the soft tears from her cheeks, but Lara shook her head.

“Because… because the Princess…”

She started to speak but then stopped, her throat seemingly choked with tears, and instead of finishing her sentence, she let more tears fall.

Not knowing why Lara was crying and only being able to watch her in tears was incredibly frustrating.

“Lara, please, don’t cry and tell me what’s wrong. Why are you crying?”

I found myself pleading.

For the first time in my life, I was begging someone, asking Lara to please tell me what was wrong.

That’s how desperate I felt.

“Because the Princess said… the Princess said she likes me.”

“You mean because I said I like you?”

Lara blinked, and as she did, tears as clear as morning dew rolled down her cheeks. I wiped them away with my hand and gently urged her to continue.

I needed to understand why she was crying so I could do something about it.

“Lara is just so happy!”

With that, Lara burst into tears again.

Finally understanding, I stood there for a moment, stunned, watching Lara cry.

She’s crying because she’s happy?

“Princess!”

Lara suddenly threw her arms around me.

Even though Lara was only half my height, with arms half as long as mine, there was no way she could fully embrace me. And yet, she did.

“Princess! I like you too! I like you the most in the whole world!”

A sweet confession.

A confession wrapped in tears.

“Yes, Lara, I do too. I like you too.”

I confessed my feelings in return.

To be honest, it was a confession filled with tears as well.