When the Villainess is in Love

Chapter 9

* * *

Damn, I’m so bad with directions. Before this new life, new signs in my neighborhood had always led to confusion and hours of being lost. Emma paused for the second time while describing the route. Then she asked Linny to fetch a piece of paper and drew me a map instead.

I smiled broadly at her. “Thank you, Emma.”

However, Emma sounded worried as she said, “Your Highness, it may be better to take Linny along.”

“She’s right, your Highness. I’m great with directions, you know.”

“Linny,” Irene called out to her in a warning tone as Linny interjected a little too loudly.

I smiled and shook my head. “I asked Sir Volton to come with me.”

“What?”

“Pardon?”

Linny and Irene exclaimed, and Emma froze.

“Sir Volton? You mean… the free knight?”

“The very one.”

There was a moment of silence. I looked around at their faces in question. They appeared even more worried now.

“But he’s so rude!”

“Linny.”

Linny quieted down, grumbling to herself before letting out a long sigh. I watched her in amusement before speaking again.

“It’s all right. I asked him to come with me because I like him, so I’ll enjoy myself regardless.”

I knew all about Eugene’s carefree attitude, which some might interpret as discourteous. But I liked that about him, too. The crown prince’s terrible personality made everyone else look great in comparison, no matter how rude they sometimes were.

“And thanks to this map, I won’t get lost.”

“Your Highness…”

I was a little hurt by Emma’s uneasy gaze. Aww, doesn’t she trust me? “And I’m sure Sir Volton is good with directions.”

Emma seemed instantly relieved at the thought. Linny was trying her best not to comment, and Irene just sighed.

Shortly after, I had a light meal. Not happy about my portion, Linny told me about how I wasn’t eating enough and that even the cook was getting worried. But I let her words go into one ear and out the other, and I prepared to leave.

“I’ll be back soon!”

The spot Emma had picked out for me was a hilltop away from the hustle and bustle of the palace. And yet it still had a picturesque view, surrounded by wildflowers and lush trees. At least, Emma claimed so.

“That’s how she described it,” I told Eugene as I showed him the map Emma had drawn for me.

He wordlessly looked between me and the piece of paper for a moment. “This map… The head maid drew this, you say?”

“She did. It’ll be easy to follow, don’t you think?”

He had a strange expression on his face as he replied, “Yes, but… May I ask why you want to go here with me?”

He sounded both confused and wary of me at the same time. I tilted my head at him and thought about my answer.

“Like I said before—”

“Please don’t say it’s because you like me. I want to know the real reason,” Eugene interjected.

“But that is the real reason,” I replied, genuinely confused, which had him staring at me in disbelief. “You don’t have to be so on your guard. It really is simply that I like you. I have no ulterior motives—and I don’t mean romantically, either.”

“There is no such thing as liking someone without ulterior motives, Your Highness.”

He really doesn’t care about formalities now, huh? I already knew about this aspect of his character, but experiencing it was much more fun. He’s like a sulking cat.

“Yes, there is—this situation right now,” I retorted, trying to hide the fact that I found him incredibly entertaining.

He let out a long sigh before politely escorting me along, his movements looking practiced to the point of instinct. The blinding noon sun had softened. The gentle light that touched upon everything around us wasn’t so bright that I couldn’t enjoy their beauty. Following Eugene, I got my first good look at the rest of the palace. Though this was a fantasy world, much was the same. The grass, the trees, and the flowers all stood tall, alive, and delicate.

“Here we are.”

It took me a second longer to notice that we had come to a halt. When I turned toward the voice, Eugene was close, and his steady gaze was fixed on me.

“A wolf…” I said.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

For a second, his silver hair reminded me of a majestic wolf. He does look rather like one. I shook my head and smiled. His intense and wary gaze lingered on my mouth for a beat. He must be in awe. I get the feeling.

“Wow, Emma really recommended the ideal spot.” I led him closer, nodding in understanding at his bewildered attitude. “It feels so intimate here, don’t you agree?”

“Intimate? I suppose so,” he replied almost reluctantly.

I smiled again and continued, “It’s strange that it’s wide open yet simultaneously so intimate. It reminds me of a treasure island.”

“A treasure island?”

“A deserted island hidden somewhere far away, I mean, but where hidden treasure can be found if you dig for it. Don’t you think so?”

The spot Emma had recommended was under an awning of foliage that made it feel quite intimate and cozy. It was sparely populated with trees. It was still wide open, yet the feeling remained. I let go of his hand, having dragged him along for a few steps, and carefully sat down on the soft grass. Then I gestured for Eugene to join me, for he only stood there and stared at me.

“Come sit with me.”

“What on earth…”

“What did you say?”

He had muttered to himself, but he was standing close enough for me to hear him. When I asked him to repeat himself, pretending not to have heard him, he shook his head, looking conflicted. Then he stepped closer and held out a hand. I blinked at it, making him furrow his brow at me again.

“Please stand up for just a moment. Your dress will be dirtied if you sit on the grass like that.”

“But I’ve already sat down.”

“It’ll be salvageable if you brush it off right away, Your Highness.”

The way he emphasized my title made it seem like he was reminding me to act more dignified. I held back a laugh and stretched my hand out to him in a pantomime of exaggerated elegance.

He quickly pulled me to my feet and drew out a handkerchief to lay over the spot where I had been sitting. Then, he said in the driest tone possible, “Now you can sit.”

I looked at him with wide eyes, then looked down at the handkerchief and up at him again. My hand rose to cover my open mouth. So this is why they call him a heartbreaker? Because he goes around seducing women like this?

“My goodness.”

“What is it?” he asked flatly.

“But his tone is so apathetic. Haha… amazing.”

“Pardon?”

I burst out laughing at his puzzled expression. “I really do like you after all, Sir Volton. I really do.” I then carefully settled onto his handkerchief under his unblinking gaze. “I feel like a real lady.”

“You are a real lady, and a princess at that,” he muttered mockingly.

It ruined the moment a bit. I glared at him halfheartedly, feeling more comfortable in his presence now. “I was just surprised at being treated so respectfully. Don’t mock me.”

“Treated respectfully, you say…” he muttered, his expression unreadable. “Now that you’ve been treated like a real lady, I hope you will give me a proper answer.”

“We’ll talk once you sit down. Would you like to use my handkerchief?”

He abruptly turned his face away, then cleared his throat to hide an obvious laugh. “I… ahem… won’t be needing a handkerchief. I am not a lady, after all.”

He sounded much less wary of me as he gracefully took a seat next to me. I continued to smile as I watched him and waited to speak until he had settled down.

“I’ve dismissed quite a few people from my palace recently.”

This was my attempt to explain my recent actions. In fact, it had come to my attention that Emma had taken it upon herself to dismiss a few maids who had been caught saying some very rude things about the princess a few days ago. Of course, when she’d come to ask me for permission to do so, I had given it freely. It wasn’t as if I had any desire to keep them.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. They seemed eager to leave, so I obliged them.”

“Oh.” His response was nonchalant, but I noticed the brief glint of interest in his silver eyes. “Does that mean you would release me if I said I wanted to leave?”

“Of course. I won’t keep you chained to me.”

He raised one of his eyebrows in an impressively elegant way at my answer. It seemed like he hadn’t expected such a response.

“Hmm… Does this mean you brought me here to inform me of that?”

“Yes,” I told him, smiling brightly. “But I also wished for you to know that I would be sad to see you go.”

There was a moment of silence. Eugene blinked slowly before his lips curled into a knowing smile, and he asked, “Because you like me?”

“Exactly.”

“But I don’t like you back, Your Highness.”

We sounded like children squabbling on the playground, but it was clear that I had piqued his interest.

“I know,” I responded calmly and quietly to his teasing comment, my smile steady. “But that makes me like you even more.”