How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

“But it was requested by the Grand Duke himself. My older brother has already allowed it. He said we should discuss the wedding and decorate my room in the mansion.”

“Eve, you have been to the temple twice and to the ball. It’s not nice to see a pre-wedding bride out there like that.”

The Empress sighed and rebuked her as if treating an immature child.

“It would be better to leave such matters to the head lady-in-waiting of the imperial palace and the Grand Duke. You should be quiet in the imperial palace until the wedding. Perhaps the Grand Duke will like it even more.”

In her sweet voice she persistently tried to convince Eve. It would be difficult to forcibly block something that the crown prince had already permitted, so it seemed that she was trying to convince her in this way. It’s okay though.

A reaction like that was to be expected, so she had something in mind.

“After hearing it, I think mother is right.”

“Yeah, that’s right…”

“So, I want to go and stay in a monastery at this time.”

“What, what do you mean by that?”

The teacup in the Empress’ hand shook greatly at the sudden talk.

“I realized after listening to mother. I’m on probation, so if I pray at the monastery before marriage and repent of my mistakes, His Majesty the Emperor would be pleased. The Grand Duke will be delighted with the bride-to-be’s modest and devout appearance, won’t he?”

“But isn’t going to a monastery too harsh?”

“Why? My great-aunt, Princess Latecia, prayed at the monastery and tidied her body before her marriage. The princesses from before were like that too.”

“Yeah, that’s…”

The Empress blurted out her words with a puzzled face. That’s right, Princess Latecia, her great aunt, lived in a monastery since her childhood because her mother was executed as a criminal. Most of the princesses who found themselves in a difficult situation like that used to stay in a monastery until they were sold into marriage. Of course, they were nominally tidying up and praying, but in reality they were confined to a monastery.

“Is it necessary to do that much? There must be a lot of work to prepare for the wedding.”

“I heard that the preparations should be left to the head maid and the people of the Grand Duke?”

When the princess was suddenly sent to a monastery and appeared at the wedding in her roughly mended dress, it would of course create a lot of buzz. There would be all sorts of speculations related to the Grand Duke’s attitude last night. As the Empress, she was unable to obey the Emperor’s order to keep her Eve in the palace. But Monasteries were outside the system.

‘Actually, at first I thought about running away to a monastery.’

Because it’s the easiest way to get out of the imperial palace. But she gave up on the idea because even if she were confined to a monastery until her marriage, she just would eventually die there. If she went to the monastery, she wouldn’t be able to easily meet outsiders, so she wouldn’t be able to seek help from the Grand Duke. But she wouldn’t be able to escape the monastery alone.

The Empress looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“How are you going to endure monastic life?”

In the monastery, they lead a frugal and humble life. For example, it was said that they ate simple vegetarian food, used simple things without any luxuries, and prayed all day long. Even if she was a princess, she had to live a similar life while staying there.

“I think it would be nice to live such a frugal life at least once before marriage. I don’t think people will look at me badly if I say I went to the monastery after listening to her mother’s words.”

“…”

There was a dark displeasure in the Empress’ eyes. If while the Emperor was away at war, the Empress sent her soon-to-be-married stepdaughter to the monastery, everyone would think it was too much. Maybe there will be people who sympathize with Eve. It must have been an unpleasant thing for her as Empress.

Because this woman loathed Eve making a good impression on her people. She was also sensitive to her self-image. The Empress was troubled by her bewildered eyes, but she first pulled back.

“Let’s think about this a little more. She also asked His Majesty’s opinion.”

“Maybe?”

She put down the cooled teacup and sent a smile to the Empress.

“Then would it be all right to meet the Grand Duke tomorrow?”

In an instant, an intense gaze fell on her face. It seemed that she realized belatedly that Eve had half threatened her. But she pretended not to know anything and put on a happy smile.

The Empress said in a voice mixed with hatred.

“You dare…”

As she said that, they heard a knock outside the door. The Empress calmed her emotions and let out a cold expression.

“Come in.”

The lady-in-waiting who opened the door and entered politely bowed her head.

“Your Majesty, there has been a call from the Grand Duke’s residence.”

“What?”

The Empress, who had been lying sideways, rose and sat down. She handed over her envelope that the maid had brought to her. It was an envelope with the seal of the Grand Duke’s family clearly stamped on it. The Empress tore open the envelope and took out the letter inside. Then, after quickly skimmed the writing on the paper, she turned her gaze back to Eve and said,

“The Grand Duke sent you a present.”

“Yes?”

She asked back, startled by the unexpected sound.

“What did the Grand Duke send?”

Of course, it had been a long-standing custom in this world for a groom to send a gift to his bride before the wedding. It’s just that the Grand Duke thought marriage to Eve was terrible, so he hadn’t sent any gifts until now.

“The Grand Duke has sent you a wedding present. It’s due to arrive soon.”

The Empress looked as if she was confused about what had happened, but her face was still in shock. The Grand Duke, who hated Eve so much, suddenly sent her a gift and even sent her a letter to invite her to the ball.

“Now?”

She looked out the window. It was still early in the morning. Did he send a gift at this time? She thought it’s been about 12 hours since they separated last night. The wedding was less than a month away, so there must have been some preparations, but they sent it so quickly.

‘What is it, this incredible action power.’

“Did he send me a letter to tell me about that?”

The Empress put the Grand Duke’s letter down on her bedside table with a trembling expression.

“He wants to discuss the wedding with you, so he asks me to let you out of the palace.”

“Really?”

Like immature Eve, she was genuinely delighted.

“Then may I go out to meet the Grand Duke?”

“…”

But there was no answer coming back. Since the Grand Duke even asked for it, she probably couldn’t say anything more. And, since the crown prince had already given permission and the Grand Duke himself had asked for it, it would be difficult to refuse. Confused, the Empress cleared her throat as if she had sorted out her thoughts.

“The Grand Duke also asked for it, so you better go.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

Confusion, worry, and anger were mixed in the Empress’s face.

‘The Empress will inform the Emperor of today’s events right away.’

Even if the Emperor noticed something strange, considering that he was out on the battlefield right now, there was no way something would happen within a day or two. It would take time to figure out the situation on the other side as well. She should be safe for at least five days to a week. 

With such thoughts in mind, she returned to the princess’s palace. When she returned to the princess’s palace, the bright morning sun was shining brightly on the palace. It was early in the morning, but the atmosphere in the princess’s palace was noisy.

Before she even entered the main gate of the palace, she heard a loud sound.

“Princess! Look at this.”

As soon as she arrived inside the palace, the ladies-in-waiting surrounded her and made a fuss.

“What, what is it?”

“You have to go upstairs!”

She was pushed upstairs to her bedroom by the torch of the maids. As soon as she entered the bedroom, she saw the maids surrounding the window.

“Hey! Look down there!”

The maids led her to the window.

She approached the window. At this point, she was also curious. What was it that was making such a fuss? And the moment she looked out the window, she stopped in a daze without realizing it.

When she opened the window of her bedroom, she saw a snowy garden. 

Since waking up here, she had looked out every morning and evening, so she was very familiar with it. A pine tree that still has green leaves in the snow. A flower bed planted with flowers that bloom like fluffy flowers even in the middle of winter. It hadn’t snowed in the past few days, but thanks to the cold weather, there were still remnants of white snow all over the garden.

But now, that refreshing white color was nowhere to be found. The whole garden was full of red waves. Exactly, red flowers whose names she didn’t know were filling the small garden under her window. There were red flowers not only on the stone paths in the garden, but also in small courtyards, flower beds, and even among the plants. At a cursory glance, it seemed that there were hundreds of thousands of them.

“Wh, what the hell is this?”

“It’s a gift from the Grand Duke’s family. Servants divided it into several wagons and brought it.”

“A gift?”

She belatedly remembered the customs here that appeared in the original work. Here in the Albion Empire, the groom’s gifts to his bride were traditionally a bouquet of flowers and jewelry.

‘Anyway, what is this…’

It’s a gift on a completely insane scale. Originally, flowers sent as gifts were bouquets or flower baskets. 

Beside her, the ladies-in-waiting were watching the flowers, no, the waves of flowers, bursting with admiration.

“They are all Rastaana flowers.”

“What is that?”

“Princess, do you really not know? It is a flower that symbolizes love.”

‘Ah… okay?’

It seemed to be a unique flower that could only be found in this world. And it was a flower that symbolizes love. It was certainly coveted and beautiful. It also looked a bit like a peony.

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Translator Note:

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