How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

“By the way, where are you two going out today?”

 

Sorel looked at the street clothes that Diane and she were wearing and asked cautiously. She answered, pretending to smile as naturally as possible.

 

“Actually, I was going to go to the Grand Duchy with Miss Diane. I want to check the banquet hall to be used as a wedding hall.”

 

Sorel heard her and she looked sorry.

 

“I picked the wrong day. I’m sorry for coming to you when you were so busy.”

 

“No, there is nothing to be sorry about.”

 

She added, soothing Sorel.

 

“I can’t help it today, so if it’s okay, could you come back later?”

 

But Sorel heard her and started crying again.

 

“Well, what should I do? I don’t think Her Majesty will give permission next time. I barely got out today.”

 

“Did you?”

 

The reason the Empress didn’t let Sorel out may be because she was grumpy, but it may also be her intention to control Sorel as she pleased. Even in the original work, the Empress controlled Sorel, keeping her by her side as if she were her own daughter. Sorel liked the Empress at first, but later she realized that the Empress’s kindness was a pretense and she became burdened.

 

“So that’s it.”

 

Sorel asked, looking at her with her silver eyes filled with sadness.

 

“If it’s okay, can I go to the Grand Duke’s residence with you?”

 

“Are you going to come with us?”

 

She never imagined that something like this would come out. In the original, Eve always bullied Sorel, and Sorel also avoided Eve.

 

‘I can’t believe she is going to go see the wedding of such a mean stepsister.’

 

Was she that kind and naive or not… She turned around and saw Diane looking at her with a surprised expression. She looked embarrassed and declined Sorel’s request.

 

“That’s a bit troublesome. I made a prior agreement to go with Miss Diane.”

 

And Diane seemed uncomfortable with Sorel. It would be inconsiderate of her to take Sorel with her when he suddenly appeared. But she didn’t know how Diane interpreted what she said, and suddenly she joined the conversation.

 

“I’m OK. I think we could go together.”

 

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

 

Diane nodded her head.

 

“Sure. Wouldn’t it be better if we all went together and discussed it?”

 

Sorel turned to her with anticipation at Diane’s words.

 

“It would be nice if we went together… You’re on probation, are you okay?”

 

“If the Empress says anything, wouldn’t it be okay if I told her that my sister was on her way out to go to the Grand Duke’s residence, so I had no choice but to go with her and we ended up talking?”

 

If she said that, even the Empress would have nothing to say. She wouldn’t let her contact Eve and she sent me away suddenly. Sorel studied her face, waiting for an answer. Although she still had an innocent expression, her silver eyes had a cautious look, like someone crossing a frozen river. It was as if she could clearly see how thick her ice was and what was inside it. At that moment, she realized the identity of the sense of discomfort she had been feeling earlier.

 

‘Why is it so natural?’

 

In the original work, Eve always bullied Sorrel. The relationship between the two was very simple. Eve, the perpetrator. Sorel, the victim. She predicted that it would be difficult to reconcile with Sorel because their relationship had always been that way. How could she forgive someone who has tormented her for so many years? No matter how kind the heroine was, it was difficult for her to forgive Eve. The perpetrator could first relax and approach, but the victim couldn’t easily let go. Even if you want to accept it, you are afraid that that person will change again at any time, so you cannot let your guard down easily. However, when she met Sorel in person and treated her kindly, she quickly relaxed her guard and became friendly. Her asking Eve to go with her was as natural as her good-natured sisters. However, even though she acted so friendly, she looked like she was observing Eve from time to time. What that meant was clear.

 

‘You’re acting.’

 

Why? In the original, Sorel was an innocent and innocent saint who had no idea about pretense or scheming. But she looked the same to her now, and what she said to Diane a little while ago… It’s too strange to say she didn’t have any ill intentions. After looking at Sorel and thinking for a while, she accepted her offer. It was a shame to just let Sorel go now.

 

“Then shall we go together?”

 

Because she also wanted to observe this heroine more closely. The carriage left the temple and headed toward a street lined with nobles’ mansions. The bright sunlight warmly illuminated the road where the remnants of white snow remained. However, there was only silence inside the carriage. All three of them, Sorel, Diane, and She, sat in silence, looking at each other. Sorel was silent, and Diane was watching them both. No matter how much she didn’t know about social circles, she knew that her relationship with Sorel was not good.

 

She glanced at Sorel, who was lost in her thoughts. Whenever she begged to follow, Sorel kept her mouth shut and just stared at the empty space inside the carriage. She seemed to be deep in thought. She was in a mood where no one could speak her words first since Sorel did not speak her words.

 

“Today… The weather is really nice.”

 

In the end, Eve was the one who broke the silence first.

 

“I see. The weather will be nice on your wedding day.”

 

Diane took her word as if she had been waiting. She must have been frustrated because she was holding her breath in this heavy atmosphere.

 

“How did you know that?”

 

“I contacted the temple and asked.”

 

She thought this temple was only for astronomical observation, but it also serves as a meteorological office.

 

“The cat is so calm. I can’t believe he stays so still in the carriage.”

 

Diane was amazed to see Bayan sitting calmly on her lap. Bayan looked alternately at her and Sorel, pricking his ears like a real cat. She couldn’t talk to Bayan because there were two people watching her. Maybe Sorel would understand what Bayan was saying. Until yesterday, she had been thinking that when she met Sorrel, she would tell her Bayan’s identity and ask her to teach her how to use her sacred power. After she actually met Sorel in person, she lost the desire to do so.

 

‘It seems a little different from the innocent princess I saw in the original.’

 

Of course, since she had only met her in person for less than an hour, it’s difficult to fully understand her personality. The Sorel in front of her felt out of place, as she was the angelic princess from a novel.

 

‘If you think about it, not everything was the same as the original.’

 

Most of this world was the same as the novel’s setting, but there were a few differences. Mikhail knew that he had a half-brother. It wasn’t clear whether he was referring to Terence exactly, but he was clearly referring to ‘brother’ anyway. According to the original, Mikhail had no idea who his father was, and he should have had no idea that he had a half-brother. There were more minor differences. The attitude of Eve’s older brother, Arentine, was also slightly different from the original. They said he wasn’t interested in Eve at all, but Arentine, who she actually met, was very friendly to her.

 

‘Why is there this difference?’

 

If this is really the world in the book, it should be the same as the original setting. Suddenly, she saw medieval buildings passing by quickly outside the window. Wooden gable roofs, lattice windows, chimneys rising from scarlet roofs, arched pillars and paved roads. She didn’t know much about architecture, but the buildings here felt like a mixture of various styles. It was an architectural style that was vaguely similar to the medieval and modern times of the world she lived in, but difficult to classify. Although it has only been about a month since she came here, this place was too elaborate and detailed to be simply a world in a novel. There were many detailed settings that did not appear at all in the original work. 

While she was thinking about this while looking out the window, Sorel, who had remained silent until now, suddenly asked a question.

 

“Did you say you found that cat at the temple?”

 

“Yes, I picked it up near my dorm.”

 

Sorel, who heard her, tilted her head to the side as if puzzled.

 

“How amazing. I vaguely feel holy power. Is it because he lived in a temple?”

 

She was shocked to hear that. Diane, on the other hand, looked at Bayan with her curious eyes.

 

“Oh, then maybe it’s a special cat?”

 

But Sorel shook her head.

 

“No, it’s not that strong. It’s just a weak energy, as if it’s not there.”

 

“Really? How weak is it?”

 

“It’s so weak that I didn’t feel it until a little while ago. It’s worse than the statues in the temple.”

 

At those words, Bayan’s ears swiveled from side to side. She quickly stroked Bayan’s forehead with her hand.

 

“Couldn’t it have been just wandering around the temple and gaining holy power?”

 

It’s a bit strange to say that holy power was transmitted as a disease. According to Bayan’s explanation, everything in the temple, including the buildings, trees, and statues, contained a little bit of sacred power. Statues and trees may not have been born with divine powers from the beginning, so they must have acquired them while in a temple. Sorel also agreed with her.

 

“Yes, that happens sometimes if you live in a temple for a long time.”

 

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Translator Note: