How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

Chloe came in to tidy up the room after dinner. The lady-in-waiting, who was tidying up the room with her, took the tray and went out first, and then Chloe came to her side by the window.

“Your Highness, Princess. I’ll be in the palace, so if you have anything to do, feel free to tell me.”

Unlike when she came to say hello a moment ago, there was a slight peculiar accent in her tone. Probably a northern accent.

“Okay.”

Chloe told her to let her know if she needed anything, but the next three days went by without a hitch. She spent all day sitting in her room reading a book.

Knock.

As she was turning over the bookshelf, she heard a knock outside. The maid who opened the door and entered politely bowed her head.

“Princess, it is said that Her Highness the Crown Prince has returned to the capital.”

The news bringed some work again.

* * *

In the afternoon the next day. She stood in front of the big door and passed the time in a daze. In front of her was a door with elaborate patterns engraved on it. She didn’t have a watch, but she felt like more than 30 minutes had passed while standing in front of the door. She was counting the leaves of the sacred tree engraved on the large door about 20 times, and then the door opened.

“Your Highness the Princess.”

A man in an official uniform bowed down to her.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you.”

She passed the official and entered the office. Yesterday afternoon, she sent an official request for an interview with the crown prince, but the answer came back this morning. It was a short reply saying that they would meet at the office at noon. It was the attitude of treating a low-ranking aristocrat who requested an audience, not his only younger sister, but she was satisfied with that alone.

Because she knew how much the prince of the original novel hated Eve. It’s understandable that he’s angry because his only sister was always chasing after the Grand Duke and causing accidents.

The room was luxurious and dignified, befitting a prince’s office, but there was nothing except essential furniture such as a desk, bookshelf, and chair. There were no decorations or luxuries such as paintings, sculptures, and potted plants even after washing your eyes. The office, filled with only practical furniture, seemed to reveal the owner’s cold personality.

‘The crown prince had a personality like an elite bureaucrat with a workaholic.’

He was diligent, competent, and calm, but inflexible, highly knowledgeable, and hated socializing with people. Thanks to this, even though he was the crown prince, he lived with a wall from the social world.

The second prince, Bill Roth, was building his own power by hanging loosely with the young nobles. That’s why Arentin disapproved of Eve, who was even more selfish. Because she was the exact opposite of him in every way.

Upon entering the room through the middle door, a young man with the same hair color as Eve was sitting at a desk. That man seemeds to be the crown prince.

Prince Arentin did not take his eyes off the papers even as sheI approached. She bent her knees politely, holding the hem of her dress with both hands.

“It’s been a while, brother. I am so happy to see you returned safely…”

“How are the preparations for the wedding going?”

Arentin cut her off with a cold tone and asked a question.

“I am still preparing.”

Actually she didn’t know. After entering this world, she didn’t care about wedding preparations. Well, wouldn’t the ladies-in-waiting prepare it themselves? She was standing at the crossroads of life and death, whether or not she would die, so what’s the big deal about a wedding?

Arentin still didn’t look at her and just turned over the papers.

“For what purpose did you ask to meet?”

“I want to receive a wedding present.”

“What?”

Only then did Arentin take his eyes off the papers and raise his head. Reddish blonde hair neatly laid back against neat white skin. Deep blue eyes like the sea. He was a handsome man who created a calm and intelligent atmosphere. He’s like the heroine’s older brother.

Even in the original novel, he was said to be handsome, but that was a description that was nothing special in this novel, where even the passing extras were beautiful. Seeing him face to face in real life, he really was as handsome as the male lead.

“I am my older brother’s younger sister, so you have to give me a wedding present. I want to receive your wedding present.”

In the Albion Empire, there was a custom of giving siblings a wedding gift when they get married. Most of them gave gifts such as jewelry or household items that were helpful for the newlyweds. As if there was no need to listen to her, Arentin asked with a tired expression.

“What do you want?”

“I want to go to the Duke’s ball.”

“Ball?”

Arentin raised his eyebrows in an arch as if he were surprised by her words. Actually, if it was the usual Eve, she would have asked for jewelry, a dress, or something like that.

“On Dahen’s Day, the Duchess of Rohan organizes a winter ball. I was invited too, and I really want to attend. I’m on probation, so I can’t go out without permission.”

After staring at her for a while, Arentin asked again in an apathetic tone.

“Is the Grand Duke attending that ball?”

“Yes.”

Arentin made an expression of ‘Sure he is’.

“But I am not going because of His Highness.”

“Then why are you going there?”

He spoke as if there was no reason for her to attend the ball unless it was the Grand Duke. Of course, 90% of Eve’s actions in the original work were caused for that reason. The other 10 percent was mostly to annoy Sorrell.

“The Duchess invited me. And I want to meet Miss Diane to thank her before the wedding. She is not feeling well, but she is acting as a maid of honor for me.”

“Diane?”

Arentin seemed to be chewing on the name for a while.

“She is the princess of the duchy of Rohan.”

“Oh yeah. That was her name.”

She was the only daughter of a ducal family, but he couldn’t even remember her name. It was natural for him to feel strange since Diane didn’t appear in social circles, but he was a bit harsh. Even though he was the crown prince, it seems that it was not a lie to say that he lived out of the social circle.

He certainly had no idea that Miss Diane liked him. And even if he knew, he didn’t seem to care.

“I heard that you were invited too.”

“Yes. I got an invitation but I don’t know if I will be able to attend.”

It was a calm voice, but at the end of his words, there was a hint of exhaustion. His gaze suddenly fell on the pile of papers piled up on the desk.

Arentin followed the Emperor to the battlefield, and he was sent back to the capital to take the place of the Emperor. Sooner or later, he would be called back to the battlefield.

Seeing him spinning round and round, she thought that even the crown prince couldn’t do it.

‘What happened to the crown prince in the original story?’

She did not know. The original Emperor fell ill and exited as he withdrew into the background. As the Grand Duke came to rule the entire North as if it were his own kingdom, he ceased to be interested in his institutional affairs. Sorel and Mikhail also leave the system in search of their own happiness. After that, the system and the imperial family no longer appear in the story. In the end, it was not revealed exactly who would inherit the Emperor’s seat.

Arentin focused on the papers again and asked without even looking at her.

“Do you really want to receive it as a wedding gift?”

“Yes, I really want to participate.”

She sent her eyes as earnestly as possible.

“The Duchess came to visit me and invited me, but I didn’t want to disappoint her. Miss Diane said she wanted to meet me, but she said…”

“Were you invited by the Duchess herself?”

“Probably because of Her Majesty’s words.”

The sound of ‘Empress’ coming out of her mouth caused his fingers holding the pen to stop slightly.

He continued with a slightly sad expression.

“A few days ago, she went to Her Majesty’s tea party, and on that day, Her Majesty said so. I study a lot and work hard in my own way, but the Grand Duke never comes to see me.”

“You mean the Empress said that?”

Arentin still asked in a gruff voice, but the tone showed faint displeasure. Given the relationship between Eve and the Empress, it probably wasn’t meant with good intentions.

“Yes, and then she held the Duchess’s hand and asked Her Highness to speak well. Maybe that’s why the Duchess invited me. She must be trying to arrange a place for me to meet with His Highness.”

She let out an exaggerated sigh.

“So I asked Her Majesty if it would be okay to attend the ball… She didn’t allow me since I have to be quiet before marriage.”

“She told you so, why won’t she give you her permission?”

“…I don’t know.”

She ran her hand through her long, red-blond hair and continued to speak weakly.

“The Empress must have been upset because I said something stupid at the tea party.”

“What did you say?”

“That is… I said to the Empress that I was worried because His Highness, the Grand Duke, hates me.”

With a genuinely troubled expression, she explained what happened at the Tea Party.

“At that point, I said that the Grand Duke would not have a concubine, so if I worked hard, maybe our relationship could improve someday. But now that I think about it, I think I made a mistake. The Empress also didn’t look good.”

It wasn’t a lie. Everything was exactly what she said at the Tea Party.

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Translator Note:

I’m going to take a little vacation so next week there won’t be any new release of this story. I will be back in May 😉

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