How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

After the celebration, heavy snow fell on the islands again. Thanks to this, she was trapped inside the temple for a while and just cleaned up her things. Of course, at night, she practiced sacred power with Bayan and planned what would happen on the wedding day. The wedding plans were well prepared, but the sacred power practice was still sluggish. As soon as the snow stopped, she headed straight to the Grand Duke’s mansion. Time passed in an instant, and the wedding was now four days away.

 

“Princess!”

 

Diane, who came first, was waiting for her at the mansion.

 

“Miss Diane, long time no see.”

 

It felt like it’s been a while since she saw her at the celebration. It was only later that she heard why the Rohan family could not attend the celebration. It was said that as soon as Diane’s father, the Duke of Rohan, arrived in the Islands, he fell ill with fever. Since the Duke was recuperating at home, other family members were unable to attend the celebration.

 

“Are you feeling better, Duke?”

 

“Maybe because he was so healthy, he was completely cured in two days. My mother is stopping me from saying I can go outside now.”

 

Well, in the original work, there was no mention of the Duke being seriously ill during this period. Perhaps because she had been resting at her mansion for a while, Diane looked better than before.

 

“I… But is that true?”

 

Diane watched her carefully as she walked down her hallway.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“It is Sorel. I heard that the princess said that she wanted to be a bridesmaid to His Majesty the Emperor…”

 

The story had already spread. The Emperor probably spread it further on purpose.

 

“Don’t worry. I refused.”

 

She spoke clearly as she walked down the hallway.

 

“I can’t believe you helped Miss Diane so much with her wedding. I can’t change my bridesmaid now.”

 

Diane must have been happy to hear that she would not be changing her bridesmaid, so her slightly flushed face hid the smile blooming on her lips.

 

“Is Princess Sorel going to be okay?”

 

“She asked me to take the role of blessing Sorel instead of her bridesmaid so that he wouldn’t be disappointed, so she will be fine.”

 

They had tea in the reception room and checked the preparations. After finishing preparations, she planned to meet Lot and look around the banquet hall and banquet hall. 

However, less than an hour after she arrived at the mansion, her guest came. A completely unexpected and uninvited guest.

 

“Princess, Princess Sorel has arrived.”

 

It’s finally here.

 

‘I wondered why you didn’t come visit me.’

 

A moment later, Sorel came into the reception room. Sorrel had her hair in a long braid, and was holding a wreath of white flowers.

 

“Sister.”

 

“Sorrel, what’s going on here?”

 

“I heard you left the temple and went to her mansion.”

 

Sorel said and gave her an apologetic look.

 

“I went to the temple to practice the ceremony with my sister, but it happened to be the day she was visiting the mansion.”

 

Of course, when the snow stopped, she would go to the mansion. She must have come here knowing clearly, but she naturally pretended not to know. Behind Sorrel was a maid with dark tea-colored hair. She was probably Sorel’s close maid.

 

“Miss Diane, I heard about the Duke. Is he feeling better?”

 

“Yes, he is all better.”

 

Diane answered calmly, but Sorel looked sad, as if she felt sorry for her.

 

“At times like this, I regret that my holy power is not very effective against the disease. If I could cure illnesses, I would be able to help more people.”

 

“They say that holy power only works well on wounds.”

 

As she said that, she suddenly wondered whether Sorel could quickly heal wounds on her body. She was sure her wounds would heal more easily than others. So, she must have come up with this self-made play.

 

“I’m just here for a quick inspection today, so I don’t plan on staying long. Then do you want to practice alone in the banquet hall?”

 

“I guess so. Actually, I don’t think I can stay for long. In the evening, Her Majesty the Empress asked me to choose a wedding gift together.”

 

“I see. It can’t be helped.”

 

Was the wedding gift they would choose together a self-inflicted blackmailer scenario?

 

“That’s right, I have prepared a flower crown for the wedding in advance.”

 

Sorel showed her the wreath she was holding. It was a familiar flower. It was a flower from the sacred tree that she forcibly handed to Terence at the temple.

 

“Did you make a wreath out of those flowers?”

 

“Yes, since it is my sister’s wedding, I asked the High Priest to do it.”

 

From what she heard from Nell, the priest who gives a blessing to a wedding puts a wreath on the bride along with words of blessing. She smiled and stretched out her hand as if she knew nothing.

 

“It’s so pretty. Can I try it out first?”

 

Diane, who was next to her, was shocked and tried to stop her.

 

“A bride should not wear a flower crown before getting married.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

She spoke to Sorel, her face showing disappointment.

 

“Then do you want to try it? I want to see how you look with it.”

 

“Of course. Actually, I wanted to try it too.”

 

Sorel lifted the wreath above her head. She stretched out her hand before Sorel placed the wreath on her head.

 

“I’ll put it on for you.”

 

At the same time, she grabbed Sorel’s finger holding the corolla. She felt the soft touch of thin fingers. She desperately tried to concentrate for a moment, but unfortunately, nothing came out. She placed the wreath on Sorel’s head.

 

“It’s really pretty. Maybe because it’s white, it goes well with your hair.”

 

While praising Sorel, she slowly stroked Sorel’s flowing hair and braids with her hands. Of course, all the while, in her mind, she was concentrating to see the foresight.

 

A smile passed like a gentle wave across Sorel’s white face. It was a relaxed smile, as if she was saying something obvious.

 

“Do not worry. It will go well with your hair color.”

 

Now that she looked at it, she wondered if Sorel deliberately chose white flowers that didn’t suit her. After all, what wasn’t a yellow flower? She wouldn’t have chosen it because it wouldn’t go well with Eve’s hair color.

 

‘Sorel must have come to the mansion to look at the greenhouse.’

 

It looks like they were looking into the greenhouse and checking their plans. That was when she thought about it. Her vision flipped without warning.

 

* * *

 

It was visible through a window filled with bright sunlight. It was the glass greenhouse in question. She saw Sorel looking out the window on the other side of the glass door. The inside of the greenhouse was no different from when she visited before. But there was only one difference. Sorel’s light green dress had been changed into a unique silver-grey outfit. It was similar to the attire of priestesses commonly seen in temples, but a little more extravagant. Was this the attire of a celebratory priest?

 

‘Then is this the wedding day?’

 

Finally, the much-desired vision came out. As she expected, a familiar person appeared outside the window. She was the Empress dressed in formal attire. The Empress opened the glass door facing the garden and came inside.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

“Yes. Here you are.”

 

Sorel took a small dagger from her arms and placed it on the table. A dagger with a pink blade. It was the sword of Ionis.

 

“No one else saw it, right? Didn’t someone follow you?”

 

“Don’t worry. No one saw it. My maid is standing guard over there.”

 

Unlike Sorel, who looked nervous, the Empress looked annoyed by all of this. She looked at the garden the Empress pointed to. When she came back and looked, she understood why Sorel chose this greenhouse as the location of the crime. This place was far away from the mansion, so it was good to avoid people’s attention. On the wedding day, security would be tight inside and outside the mansion, but since this greenhouse was in the middle of the garden, surveillance would be relatively loose. And when you open the greenhouse door, a winter garden full of garden trees appears. After the Empress sneaked into the greenhouse and stabbed Sorel, she went back out into her garden, perfect for hiding her body. At that time, a white bird flew into the window and sat on the window sill. It was a small bird the size of a finger. Sorel looked at it and spoke in a confident tone.

 

“Oh, I guess my sister is coming this way.”

 

“What? What is that bird?”

 

“It’s a signal from my maid.”

 

Sorel smiled coldly and turned her body towards the glass window. Then she turned around and chased the Empress.

 

“Do it quickly. The arrival of a bird means that my sister is near the corridor.”

 

The Empress glared at Sorel’s back with her uncomfortable gaze and picked up the dagger from the table. The pink blade of the sword shone dazzlingly in the sunlight that penetrated the greenhouse. Her vision went dark until the backlight shined on the blade.

 

* * *

 

Soft golden hair wrapped around her fingers. The back of Sorel’s head appeared before her eyes. Even the neatly braided platinum-colored hair. She immediately moved her hand and spoke naturally.

 

“It looks elegant tied up like this. Why don’t you always do this?”

 

“Unlike my sister, my hair is thin and I prefer it loose.”

 

“Well, you look pretty when you let things out.”

 

Suddenly she turned around and saw that Diane’s expression wasn’t very good. Diane didn’t seem to like Sorel very much. She said Sorel said something strange like that last time too. She removed her hand from Sorel’s head and let her out.

 

“Then, if you need anything while you’re in the banquet hall, please let me know.”

 

“Yes, I will go to the banquet hall and practice.”

 

Sorel left those words and headed to the banquet hall. As soon as Sorrell was gone, Diane, that was waiting, said.

 

“That flower crown will look better on the princess’s hair.”

 

“Yes?”

 

When she suddenly looked at her wondering what she was talking about, Diane trailed off as if embarrassed.

 

“White flowers naturally look better with red.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Well, if it were platinum and white, it would look a bit blurry.

 

“Now that I think about it, that flower is the first flower I gave to Terence.”

 

“Really?”

 

She briefly explained the story of giving Terence a bouquet at the temple. Of course, except for the note in the petal and the bad words Terence said to her. Diane seemed to like that she had made a wreath out of those flowers.

 

“What a beautiful coincidence. That wreath will truly be a blessing to you two.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

In fact, the person giving the blessing was trying his best to ruin the wedding instead of giving the blessing. Suddenly, the white little bird that had appeared in the forecast came to mind.

 

‘When I get near the corridor, they send a bird to give me a signal.’

 

Actually, she didn’t even go to the greenhouse, but the Empress, because she couldn’t stab Sorel. She had thought that there was probably someone watching nearby. Anyway, after seeing another prediction, what she had to do became clearer. The Empress’s maid was waiting in the garden. And Sorel’s maid, who must have been watching her come here. 

 

They need to catch these two. And one more thing.

 

‘Don’t let time pass too fast or too late.’

 

Witnesses must come forward exactly as soon as the Empress stabs Sorel.

 

* * *

 

With the wedding just around the corner, preparations were in full swing to decorate the wedding hall inside the mansion. However, there were some people who could not find this situation enjoyable. They were knights belonging to the Grand Duke’s family.

 

“As a wedding gift, His Highness the Grand Duke is turning the heirloom Heart of the North into a necklace and giving it to the princess.”

 

One of the knights who was resting after training said so. For a moment, a heavy and dark silence came around. The jewel was a precious treasure of inestimable value. He had already spent a huge amount of money on gifts, but now he was preparing such a huge amount of wedding gifts? Of course, His Majesty’s bride was different… If she had been a normal, sane lady, no one would have thought anything strange. However, His Highness the Grand Duke’s bride was Princess Eve. Just two months ago, that demon-like princess followed him to the training ground and misbehaved. She shouted as if someone was frustrated.

 

“I just don’t understand. I’ve said it a thousand times already, but no matter how much I think about it, I just don’t understand.”

 

There was no one to refute. Because everyone else couldn’t believe the current situation.

 

“It’s also black magic.”

 

When someone among those gathered said that, others nodded in agreement. Among knights, the opinion that Princess Eve used black magic to deceive His Highness the Grand Duke was gaining support. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t find a realistic answer, so everyone started clinging to superstitions. Although it was nonsense, there was some evidence to support the claim.

 

“These are the flowers that the princess gave to His Highness the Grand Duke at the temple. They said, His Highness, ever since he received those flowers, he has been acting strange.”

 

In retrospect, it was like that. From that day on, His Highness began to pay attention to the princess, and he suddenly turned into a passionate lover. The change was so drastic that at first His Highness felt a kind of… He thought he was mentally ill. However, the Grand Duke was fine in all respects except for the matter related to the princess. He handled matters as before and governed his territory well. It only became strange when it came to things related to the princess. Camion, who was entering the break room, heard them talking.

 

He sighed and opened the door. The knights who were lying down and resting all stood up from their seats.

 

“Everyone is saying strange things because they are free.”

 

The knights looked around and lowered their heads.

 

“Stop talking crazy and check each person’s location. There can never have any problems on thewedding day, okay?”

 

“Yes, Colonel.”

 

Camion wondered if he should stop this strange rumor, but black magic was considered superstitious anyway, so the temple didn’t pay much attention to it. He was lucky that the princess won’t be accused of being a witch and she won’t be taken to the temple. With that in mind, as he turned around, someone came running to look for him.

 

“Colonel Camion.”

 

He was a servant working in the Grand Ducal residence.

 

“You need to go to the mansion right now. The princess is looking for the colonel.”

 

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Translator Note: