I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Side Story One – The Past (2)

Side Story One – The Past (2)

“What did you say?” 

Bianca’s sudden mention of the name made both her mother and father widen their eyes as they stared at her.  

Seeing their stunned expressions, Bianca grinned with satisfaction.  

“They’re all like ugly pumpkins, you know? Even if I don’t dress up, I’m already the prettiest. But if I had to say there’s someone I wanted to look prettier for, that person would be Ricardo.”

“Ricardo… Do you mean the eldest son of the Winkaiser duchy?”

The Marquis of Croft asked as if to confirm.  

“Yes!”  

Bianca answered with an eager nod.  

This had been her most cherished wish for the past year.  

It had all started with something so small — a simple act of kindness.  

But that small kindness had caused young Bianca to fall hopelessly in love.  

“I want to marry Ricardo.”  

He was kind, reliable, like an older brother, and had the most beautiful smile.  

Especially when he smiled, his black eyes folded in a way that left only a sliver of them visible. It was captivating.  

“The Winkaiser duchy is certainly prestigious. They are more than qualified to form an engagement with our Croft family — perhaps even superior to us in status.” 

“But they still don’t compare to the imperial family. The imperial court has already hinted that they see Bianca as a future crown princess. If we proceed with an engagement with the Winkaisers, the imperial family won’t take it well.”  

“But Bianca doesn’t want it.”  

The Marquis looked at Bianca, and she made an even more desperate expression. Seeing that, the Marchioness looked even more troubled.  

“I’ll contact the Duke of Winkaiser.”  

“Really, Father?”  

At her father’s words, Bianca’s face lit up with a bright smile.  

It felt as if her dream was finally coming true.  

—

“Marriage?” 

Ricardo turned his head to look at Asel, startled by the sudden topic.  

He found himself staring at the crown prince’s playful pink-haired smile before quickly turning away, realizing what he was doing. But it was already too late.  

The duel they had been watching so intently just moments ago was already over. A knight with a blue sash was triumphantly handing his sword to a squire while patting the shoulder of the knight he had defeated.  

“Tch!” 

Ricardo clicked his tongue in frustration at having missed such a key moment.  

“I don’t get it. What’s so fun about this anyway?”

Asel shook his head and gave Ricardo’s shoulder a friendly pat, much like the victorious knight had done earlier.  

“This? The imperial knight order of the Sprendo Empire is the best on the continent. And the knight just now was Lord Wensbury, the best swordsman in the empire! Watching his duel up close is a rare opportunity for an aspiring knight like me.”  

“Yeah, yeah, I know. That’s why I let you watch it. I even sat through four hours of this boring stuff with you.”  

“Thanks, Asel.”  

Ricardo expressed his gratitude sincerely.  

Though the Winkaiser family also had excellent knights, and he had a private tutor for swordsmanship, the imperial knights were on another level.  

Even though he regretted missing the last moment of the duel, watching for four hours had been a valuable learning experience.  

“So now it’s my turn to ask for your time.”  

Asel gave Ricardo a serious look. Now that the duel had ended and the knights were clearing the area, it was clear that Ricardo’s time was up, and it was Asel’s turn.  

“So… you’re getting married?” 

“It’s just an engagement for now. But we’ll get married soon enough.”  

As Ricardo turned fully toward him, Asel grinned.  

“Do you love her?”  

“Of course! She’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen! Don’t you agree?”  

It was then that Ricardo finally realized who Asel was talking about. If Asel thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen…  

“You’re going to marry Bianca?”  

The disbelief in Ricardo’s voice was obvious.  

“But she’s so young! She’s only ten!”  

“Of course, she’s young. But I’m not that much older than her.” 

Seeing Asel shrug casually, Ricardo suddenly remembered that Asel himself was only eleven. And he, Ricardo, was just thirteen.  

“If I don’t act soon, someone else might get engaged to Bianca. She’s too pretty, after all.”  

Asel’s tone was serious, and unfortunately, he was right.  

At thirteen, Ricardo was still two years away from being eligible to take the entrance exam for the imperial knight order. He was just a boy with dreams of becoming a knight.  

But ironically, Bianca, at ten years old, was already at an age where she could be betrothed to someone she would spend the rest of her life with.  

For royalty and nobility, marriage was both a duty and a privilege.  

“Did Bianca agree to this?”  

Ricardo asked cautiously, recalling how Bianca hadn’t seemed particularly fond of Asel. It was understandable.  

Asel’s way of expressing affection had been picking fights with her. If he didn’t provoke her, Bianca, with her high self-esteem, wouldn’t even look at him — or so Asel claimed.  

But from Ricardo’s perspective, things didn’t seem that way.  

Bianca was a sweet child. When Ricardo complimented her ribbons or praised her elegant handling of a knife, she would blush slightly, clearly pleased. Sometimes, she would even give him a shy smile.

Though Bianca herself seemed entirely unaware that she was acting shy, Ricardo had noticed it before anyone else did.  

Even though Ricardo was young, he was still older than both Bianca and Asel, and he carried himself with more maturity than them.  

“Maybe?”  

Asel’s vague answer made Ricardo frown slightly.  

“What do you mean, maybe?”

“She keeps saying that she wants to become a lady, right?”  

Ricardo knew that, of course. Every noble child in Sprendo knew what Bianca’s dream was.  

To become an accomplished lady.  

“If she marries me, she’ll become the first lady of Sprendo. That means her dream comes true, right?”  

“Asel…”  

Ricardo sighed as he said Asel’s name, though it wasn’t because he thought Asel was foolish. He just found the situation regrettable.  

Asel, Bianca, and himself were all too young for words like marriage and engagement.

“The kind of lady Bianca wants to be isn’t just about rank.”

“It’s not?” 

“No.”  

Asel looked utterly confused at Ricardo’s firm response.  

“Then what kind of lady does she want to be?”  

“Well…”

This time, Ricardo found himself at a loss for words.  

He vaguely understood what kind of lady Bianca aspired to become, but explaining it was difficult—especially to someone as young as Asel.  

“Anyone can learn how to be a knight if they practice swordsmanship.”

Ricardo decided to explain it using a familiar analogy.  

“But not everyone can become a true knight. To be a great knight, you need honor, a sense of justice, and the courage to stand up to the strong while protecting the weak.”  

“Hmm…” 

Asel nodded thoughtfully and then spoke with a serious tone.  

“I don’t get it.”

“…If you don’t understand, why are you nodding?”  

“Ah! I learned that recently. If you don’t understand something in a meeting, it’s better to nod seriously. That way, people won’t know you’re confused. You can ask questions later in private so you don’t look stupid.”  

“Who told you that?” 

“My secretary. He said it’s important not to look clueless in meetings. If I ask too many questions, people might think I’m dumb.”  

“No one’s going to think you’re dumb.” 

“I hope so.”  

Asel nodded again, a small gesture that reflected the immense amount of knowledge crammed into his young mind every day.  

If Asel weren’t meeting with Ricardo today—technically engaging in an official encounter with the heir to the Winkaiser duchy—he’d be hunched over thick books on imperial governance, struggling to learn more.  

“Anyway, I’ll be getting engaged to Bianca soon. You’ll come to the ceremony, right?” 

“I…”  

Ricardo hesitated for a moment at Asel’s question.  

Something felt off. The idea of Asel and Bianca getting engaged just didn’t sit right with him.  

Bianca was indeed a beautiful child, and Ricardo could easily imagine her becoming a beloved crown princess or queen someday.  

But the thought of her becoming Asel’s wife felt strange.  

“I’m not sure.”  

“What? You’re not going to attend my engagement ceremony?”  

“No, that’s not it. I’m just not sure if it’s right for you and Bianca to get engaged.”

“What do you mean, ‘right’? Is there such a thing as a ‘right’ engagement?” 

“Of course. Marriage should be between people who love each other. And you’ve only said Bianca is pretty. You’ve never once said you love her.”  

“Hmm…” 

Asel rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  

“She looks like the prettiest girl in the world to me. Isn’t that love?”  

He was being earnest, and Ricardo could see that.  

“What if she’s no longer the prettiest girl? Will you still love her?”

“Hmm…”

Asel rubbed his chin again, clearly stumped by the difficult question.  

“Well, she’s the prettiest right now, so isn’t that enough?” 

He decided to take the simple way out.  

“What’s that look on your face? Are you judging me? Have you forgotten I’m the crown prince? Do you want to be arrested for disrespecting royalty, Lord Winkaiser?”  

“I know exactly who you are, Your Highness. That’s why I’m making this face.”

“What about you, then? Do you have someone you love? Someone you’d marry?”  

Asel asked, scowling slightly.  

“Me?”

Ricardo was caught off guard by the question, and his expression revealed his surprise.  

“I…”