How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

She ran her hand through the layers of fabric laid out on the table. A variety of textures ran through her fingertips, from smooth silk materials to soft-touch cotton and satin.

 

‘Still, memories are just memories.’

 

After they survive and become safe, would there come a day when they reminisce about this wedding? Would she ever meet Terence by then? She thought he would only call her occasionally when she used her precognitive abilities. Terence said he was not thinking about remarrying, but he would need an heir, so he would meet someone else and remarry at some point. After that, they would hardly ever meet in person. It’s strange that he kept seeing his ex-wife even though they didn’t have kids. Because that’s also rude to your new spouse. Even though it’s natural, thinking about it like that made her feel somewhat bitter. Why? Had she ever heard of it?

 

“I’ll take the first one…”

 

She sorted out her useless thoughts and roughly chose a tablecloth with a light lily pattern on a pearl-colored background. She watched as the maid quickly cleared the table and placed the next items in order. As she was bombarded with so many options, she realized one thing. The maids here move faster and more skillfully than the imperial palace maids, and were also better at hiding their emotions. Every time the maids she met at the imperial palace saw her, they bowed their heads with eyes full of fear. Most of the people she met outside the imperial palace looked at her with either fear or curiosity, as if they were looking at a strange animal. However, the people of the Grand Duchy, from the knights at the entrance to the servants and maids, all carried out their duties with polite expressions. In other places, they might make a fuss about me, but in front of her, they didn’t show any emotions and moved calmly. The Grand Duke’s family customs seemed to be quite strict. Well, considering who the master was, it wasn’t surprising. Anyway, she thought that life in this mansion would be very comfortable. Although the process of getting here was very difficult, and it seemed like there was still a lot left to prepare for the wedding.

 

“…I’ll just rest for a moment.”

 

After choosing the flowers to decorate on the altar table skirt, she took a moment to run out of the reception room. Her intention was to take a breather and look for Bayan.

 

“Bayan?”

 

She went to the direction where Bayan left, but there was nothing there.

 

“Have you seen my cat?”

 

She stopped a maid passing by and asked.

 

“Yes, I saw it going that way.”

 

The place the maid pointed to was the banquet hall. She passed through the hallway and entered the banquet hall. There was no one in the empty banquet hall.

 

“Bayan? Where are you?”

 

A familiar voice was heard from under the table.

 

[I am here.]

 

She went to where she heard the voice, lifted the tablecloth, and looked inside. Bayan was lying curled up under the table.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

[I am taking a break after looking around the mansion.]

 

‘You looked around the mansion while staying in the room right next to it?’

 

It felt like he was just resting, but that didn’t really matter right now. She checked the entrance to the banquet hall and asked.

 

“Why doesn’t Sorrel recognize you?”

 

This was a question she was curious about the entire time she came here. Bayan immediately answered in an indifferent voice.

 

[It’s because I have weak holy power. I am very weak because the contracted saint did not give me holy power.]

 

“…”

 

It sounds like it’s all because of her.

 

“…Okay, sorry. I will try harder.”

 

Bayan yawned as if he was laughing at her and explained again.

 

[As I said, blondes have weak holy power. The ability to recognize holy power is also weak.]

 

Blond hair. Did the term ‘blonde hair’ refer to Sorrel? Actually, he called her a red-haired saint.

 

“Is Sorrel really weak at that level?”

 

If she hadn’t read the original, she wouldn’t have recognized Bayan’s identity, so she had no idea how weak Sorel was.

 

[That is difficult to answer clearly.]

 

“Why?”

 

[Compared to the ancient saints, you are both like rabbits, no, mice before the fox. But compared to the blonde, you are stronger. It’s about the same difference between a squirrel and a mouse.]

 

“I don’t think it’s that big of a difference.”

 

[Anyway, the blonde is much weaker than you.]

 

Right. Since there were only two saints anyway, she decided to take comfort in the fact that she was stronger. Although she was an incompetent saint who couldn’t even give Bayan holy power.

 

She asked a more important question than that.

 

“If I concentrate to see the premonition, will Sorrel recognize it?”

 

[She won’t recognize it.]

 

Bayan spoke decisively.

 

[The holy power used by the blonde hair is used by releasing her own power to the outside. On the contrary, your ability only uses other people as a medium and does not release your sacred power outside, but utilizes it inside your head.]

 

Was that so? Sorel’s healing power was the power to heal her opponents, but the foresight she used was something that only she could see. She was using the holy power within her body.

 

[I think that’s probably why you never learn how to use your holy powers. If you put in and take out your holy power, you will naturally learn how to use it, so there is no need to let your holy power out in the first place.]

 

“It certainly could be.”

 

It’s not that she was stupid, but there was a hidden reason behind it.

 

[When I was at the temple, I saw you touching their hands to see foresight, but I couldn’t feel you using any holy power. If I couldn’t recognize it, the blonde won’t recognize it either.]

 

“That’s a good thing.”

 

At the moment, she didn’t want to reveal to Sorel that she had precognitive vision. The vision sometimes showed up by chance even when she didn’t want her to, and she didn’t want it to show up when Sorel was around and got caught.

 

“Do you understand what you are saying?”

 

Bayan, who was continuing his explanation, also paused at this question.

 

[That… I’m not sure about that either.]

 

Bayan muttered in an uncertain voice. Well, before she thought Terence would understand her, but when she met him in person, he had a history of not understanding her.

 

“Okay, I’ll go back. Where will you be?”

 

[I will be looking around the mansion.]

 

While saying that, he crawled under the table and stretched out and lay down. It was obvious that he just wanted to take a nap here.

 

She left the banquet hall and returned to the reception room. Diane and Sorel were together in the reception room just as before.

 

“Princess, you have returned. We’ve been looking at this for a while.”

 

The time of choice resumed again. After spending a while choosing the third flower arrangement for the window, Diane muttered with satisfaction.

 

“This was the last one.”

 

“Is it all over?”

 

“Yes, princess. We have decided on all the items to be used in the main ceremony. Well, now it’s the reception…”

 

She thought it was over and tried to stand up, but after hearing the butler’s explanation, she sat down again listlessly. Then she pointed out that Diane was next to her.

 

“Oh, before that, we need to decide where the reception will be held. The decoration will also change depending on the location.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Did she have to choose that too? Wasn’t there only one place in the mansion where they could have a reception?

 

“Shouldn’t this be done at a dinner party?”

 

The butler next to her pointed this out in a polite voice.

 

“There are three banquet halls in this mansion.”

 

“…Right.”

 

Diane said, nodding her head as well.

 

“I’ve never been to the second or third banquet hall either. I’ve been to the first banquet hall a few times.”

 

Well, Diane probably never attended an official dinner. At the butler’s gesture, the servant standing next to him brought a blueprint that briefly outlined the structure of the mansion. Even though it was just a simple drawing of the location, it was incredibly spacious. It was so spacious that it couldn’t be compared to the princess’s palace where she has lived so far. Well, that’s part of the imperial palace, and this was the entire mansion of the Grand Duke, so it’s only natural.

 

The moment she laid out the blueprint and was about to look at the structure of the mansion, Sorel, who had been sitting silently up until now, stood up with an apologetic look on her face.

 

“I don’t think I can be of much help because I don’t know how to see this.”

 

“What does that mean? I’m just grateful that you’re with me.”

 

She was so comforting, but it didn’t really help. Sorel sat quietly next to her while she picked out all the items. She helped her choose a few times, but most of the time she just sat there and watched her do it.

 

Sorel said, letting out a sigh as if she were embarrassed.

 

“I feel like I’m just taking up space. Excuse me, but can I go take a look at the mansion?”

 

“You want to see the mansion?”

 

“It’s my first time coming to the Grand Duke’s mansion. Seeing this picture made me want to actually take a look. If it’s okay, I’d like to see the mansion by myself.”

 

Because it was in front of people, it felt like she was making excuses to just look around instead of running away because she was bored.

 

Diane’s face hardened slightly as she thought so. Her face asked why she followed them if she was going to do that. She quickly asked the butler before anything uncomfortable was said.

 

“Butler, is that okay?”

 

“Of course, Princess. The maid over here will guide her.”

 

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Translator Note: