How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

Sorel slowly came to her senses and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, but her vision was still blurry, as if she was drowning. She unconsciously tried to move her limbs, but as soon as she moved her body, she was overcome with pain. Her entire shoulder, where she had been stabbed, hurt like it was on fire.

 

“Ugh…”

 

She remembered the Empress stabbing her with the sword persistently and deeply. Even after taking painkillers, she could clearly feel the pain. She was sure she fainted from the pain.

 

‘She seems like a stupid and selfish woman.’

 

But she had no time to resent the Empress. As soon as she opened her eyes, she wondered what was going on in the greenhouse. Did everything work out as she planned? Sorel looked around her with blurred vision. She seemed to be in a guest room of her mansion. She was injured and they found her collapsed and she was taken to the Grand Duke’s guest room. If all went according to plan, the people she found herself in would be the Empress and her maids-in-waiting.

 

“Princess! Are you out of your mind?”

 

Someone next to her called her. She turned her head with difficulty and saw the Archduke’s butler. She could see his face and the rest of the room clearly. There was no one in the room except the butler and maid.

 

“Your Majesty…?”

 

The butler looked puzzled by the question.

 

“Forgive me, Your Royal Highness. His Majesty the Emperor is currently discussing this matter with Her Highness.”

 

Sorel wondered for a moment who the ‘Her Highness’ he was talking about was, but then she belatedly remembered that Eve had become the Grand Duchess.

 

“The Empress… What about Her Majesty the Empress and Brother Vilos?”

 

“They are both at the banquet hall with His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

The old butler distorted his wrinkled face and spoke in a miserable voice.

 

“I can’t believe something incredible like this happens on the wedding day… Since it is related to Her Highness, His Highness the Grand Duke and the Crown Prince are also staying at the banquet hall.”

 

“…okay?”

 

The butler’s words made it sound as if Eve had done this and that’s why she had everyone gathered at the banquet hall. So did it go as planned?

 

“Please wait a moment. I will tell His Imperial Majesty the news about the princess.”

 

After the butler left, the maid came to the bed. Sorel asked her.

 

“Has the Empress brought me to her mansion?”

 

“Yes, princess.”

 

“What about Eve? I’m definitely in the greenhouse… I think I was with Eve.”

 

Since she still didn’t know what the situation was, Sorel asked as discreetly as possible. The maid bit her lower lip with an embarrassed look on her face.

 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about things related to Her Highness. Please forgive me, your Highness.”

 

The maid’s perplexed voice convinced Sorel. The Empress apparently stabbed her after receiving a call from her that Eve was coming to her greenhouse. A sound was heard the moment she was stabbed by the sword, but the last time she checked, she and the Empress were alone in her greenhouse. Even if Eve had arrived sooner than expected, things would have gone according to plan if the Empress had left quickly. Even if the two met… If such an unfortunate incident occurred, the Empress decided to blame Eve for her actions. There were only two people in the greenhouse anyway, so if the Empress insisted that it was Eve’s doing, people would believe her. The Empress decided to clean her hands by melting the snow in her garden before returning to her mansion. Then she would be able to prove to everyone that she couldn’t use a sword. Looking at the attitudes of the butler and maid, it seemed like the plan was a complete success. Although she was still dizzy from the sedation and pain, she was filled with relief and joy at the thought of success.

 

Although Sorel was happy on the inside, she was careful not to show her joy on the outside.

 

“It’s okay, go out. Oh, where is my maid?”

 

“I think she is downstairs in the waiting room. Shall I call her?”

 

“Okay. Tell her to come here.”

 

The maid politely bowed her waist and went out, leaving Sorel alone in her room. It’s taking quite a while. Ten minutes passed and no one came into the room. It looks like they are arguing about this at the banquet hall.

 

Eve will claim her innocence, and Vilos and the Empress will accuse her of being the culprit. 

When she thought about that, the door burst open. The Emperor and Vilos came inside.

 

“Sorel…! Have you come to your senses now?”

 

Next, Arentine, Terence, and several others came inside. The reason male officials came to see the injured princess was probably because this was a huge incident in which they tried to murder her royal family.

 

“Father… I’m OK.”

 

At that time, before the Emperor could say anything, Terence suddenly stepped forward and asked a question.

 

“Princess, how on earth did this happen?”

 

The ministers who came in together, as well as Arentine, looked at him with puzzled eyes. 

It has already been proven that it was the Empress’s doing, so is there any need to ask Sorel? And that too to someone who has just woken up after losing consciousness. But Sorel didn’t think that far. She didn’t even have to think. She had already confirmed with the butler and maid that her plan was successful.

 

“Well… Ugh…”

 

Sorel suddenly burst into tears and began pouring out the words she had prepared before the Emperor could stop her.

 

“Eve… please forgive my sister… Sobbing… Because I misspoke to my sister… She did it because she was so mad at me, but she honestly didn’t mean to kill me…”

 

“Woe, princess?”

 

“Sorel…!”

 

Vilos, who was by her side, called to her urgently. At that time, the Emperor next to the bed grabbed Sorel’s arm and pressed it hard.

 

“Honey, you still seem to be out of your mind.”

 

Sorel felt something strange. The attitude of the Emperor and Vilos, as well as the way people looked at her, were a little strange. But she had so many eyes on her that she couldn’t ask him why.

 

In fact, Sorel’s mind was still in a dazed state due to the sedatives she had taken and the medication the Grand Duke’s doctor had administered to him while he was unconscious. 

Because the medicine did not go away, she did not have enough reason to judge the situation properly. It was when Sorel faintly frowned at the strength of the Emperor’s hand.

 

Lately, another person came into the room. She was Princess Eve, who remained at the banquet hall with the Empress.

 

“Sorel, you…!”

 

Eve ran into the room, calling for Sorel. Those in the room looked at her in confusion at her sudden action.

 

Sorel was the same. The moment she saw Eve, Sorel continued her prepared lines like an automaton.

 

“Sister… sorry. I didn’t know my sister would be so angry.”

 

A single tear fell from Sorel’s clear silver eye. The ministers gathered in the room looked back at the two princesses with tense gaze. Things were getting increasingly weird. It’s clear that the Empress did this, but wasn’t Princess Sorel saying it as if Princess Eve had attacked her? Vilos, who could no longer bear it, shouted in frustration. His voice was trembling slightly.

 

“Sorrel, what are you talking about? It wasn’t Eve who stabbed you!”

 

* * *

 

She overheard the conversation in the room at the door. As expected, Sorel treated hes like she was the culprit.

 

‘My sister did something wrong, but please forgive her.’

 

It seemed like she had prepared some lines like that of a tragic heroine. She had given instructions in advance to her maid and her butler to tell Sorel to make her think her plan was a success. The doctor belonging to the Grand Duchy was told to use a painkiller with a sedative effect to prevent Sorel, who was dazed, from making proper decisions. Without warning, she opened the door and went inside.

 

As soon as Sorel saw her, she started crying again.

 

“Sister… sorry. I didn’t know my sister would be so angry.”

 

As the atmosphere in the room became more delicate, Vilos hurriedly intervened.

 

“Sorel, what are you talking about? It wasn’t Eve who stabbed you!”

 

At Vilos’ shout, Sorel froze in a daze, like a doll with its windings cut off.

 

Arentine said, looking back at Sorel.

 

“Eve didn’t even go near the greenhouse. Because she was in the mansion the whole time.”

 

A painful realization slowly spread through Sorel’s silver-white eyes. She muttered absentmindedly without realizing it.

 

“Sister… She didn’t come to the greenhouse?”

 

She looked at Sorel pitifully and explained the situation.

 

“I was going to send my maid to tell you that I couldn’t go to the greenhouse. I was resting because I wasn’t feeling well, and it was late. I can’t believe something like this happened during that time.”

 

“Then… I am…”

 

“Her Majesty attacked you with my sword. No wonder they stole my sword… I guess she was trying to make it look like I did it.”

 

Sorel seems to have realized the details of the situation after hearing her explanation. The plan failed miserably, and the Empress was accused of being the culprit instead of Eve.  She even didn’t know and was talking as if it was Eve who did it.

 

Sorel’s white face grew paler and paler.

 

Arentine asked, observing Sorel carefully.

 

“Did you just say Eve attacked you?”

 

Realizing that she was in a situation where she could not be left alone, Sorel belatedly stuttered to get her words together.

 

“I’m sorry, sister. I think I confused Her Majesty the Empress with my sister.”

 

“You confused Her Majesty the Empress with my wife?”

 

“I lost a lot of blood… I guess I lost my mind for a moment.”

 

After hearing Sorel’s excuse, Terence spoke in a mocking voice.

 

“That’s a strange thing. I’ve seen people lose consciousness due to heavy bleeding, but I’ve never seen someone mistake their attacker for who they were.”

 

Vilos, who could not stand those words, sarcastically spoke in a cold tone.

 

“You must have seen a lot of injured people.”

 

Terence looked at him silently and answered.

 

“Have you forgotten how many times I went to war? Of course, I saw many people die from hemorrhage.”

 

As if to stop the fight between the two, Arentine turned the topic back to Sorel.

 

“Then are you sure Her Majesty stabbed you?”

 

Sorel’s silver-white eyes unconsciously turned to the Emperor. The Emperor closed his eyes and opened them with a face as stiff as a stone statue. Sorel confirmed the signal and opened her mouth.

 

“Yes, Her Majesty… It’s all my fault. I was mistaken so stop…”

 

“Do you remember why Her Majesty attacked you?”

 

Sorel secretly left the escape route open.

 

“I do not know. I was talking to Her Majesty the Empress and I was looking at the window… I don’t remember anything after that.”

 

Terence came up next to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as if trying to protect her. She exchanged glances with him and then asked Sorel a question again.

 

“The dagger that stabbed you was the sword of Ionis that I received. Do you know where that came from?”

 

“That sword… Isn’t that something only the royal family can use?”

 

Sorel pretended not to know whether she had come to her senses or not.

 

“There was a way to use it even if you weren’t a member of the royal family. You didn’t know either.”

 

“That… I guess the Black Empress brought it. I’ve never seen it before.”

 

“Okay? That’s strange.”

 

She tilted her head and said.

 

“When I left the temple this morning, the dagger was safely in the storage box. But before the wedding, that sword was replaced with a fake sword.”

 

“A fake sword?”

 

“Yes, so I was secretly investigating the people who entered the boudoir today. Except for me, my maids, and the maids of the mansion, no one entered the inner room.”

 

She looked carefully at everyone’s faces and then fixed her gaze on Sorel.

 

“Sorel, it was just you and your maid.”

 

Sorel’s pale face became even more pale.

 

“Well, I don’t know. Could it be that the mansion’s maid stole it? The reason I went to the boudoir was to give you something that was missing from the wedding gift…”

 

“Yes, I heard you say that. Of course I’m not doubting you. I think maybe your maid did it under orders from Her Majesty the Empress.”

 

“My maid?”

 

She ignored Sorel’s shocked look and turned to the Emperor and Arentine and said,

 

“Sorel’s maid was caught by the patrolling knights while watching me in the hallway. But why was she hiding a bird trained for communication?”

 

“A bird?”

 

“Why did she bring something like that on my wedding day? It’s really strange, isn’t it?”

 

As she said that, she looked around at the ministers in the room. All senior officials were middle-aged nobles. They were worn-out people who had experienced all sorts of things in the political world, so they were quick to notice. After hearing Sorel’s actions and my explanation, some people seemed to already understand the situation to some extent. Several ministers looked at Sorel in surprise. Sorel was known as a kind and gentle saint until now. Those who viewed her favorably seemed to be shocked by her on the inside.

 

“Okay. It’s definitely suspicious.”

 

“I can’t believe the maid brought something like that on the wedding day.”

 

The ministers carefully agreed with her words. Everyone’s eyes focused on Sorel again. She shouted as if she was being wronged.

 

“I don’t know!”

 

She clicked her tongue inwardly as she watched Sorel use her evil words. It turned out that what happened today was the Empress’s doing, but there wasn’t enough evidence to implicate Sorel. But Sorel’s image as a saint would be irreparably tarnished.

 

The conversation that took place here would spread widely throughout the social world by today. At that time, the Emperor, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

 

“Yes, this matter will need to be investigated more thoroughly to find out.”

 

Arentine’s blue eyes turned to his father. For a moment, deep contempt appeared in his eyes and then disappeared.

 

“That’s right. If we investigate Her Majesty the Empress, who is the real culprit, we will be able to find those who participated in the conspiracy.”

 

It looked like Arentine also realized what happened. Vilos, who was barely holding back his anger, shouted in anger at those words.

 

“You are now calling my mother the real culprit…”

 

Vilos was about to say something more. The Emperor, who was looking at Sorel, suddenly turned around. He looked around at his ministers and gave them a stern order.

 

“Take the Empress to the Imperial Palace and lock her in her abandoned palace.”

 

Vilos gritted his teeth in frustration, but he couldn’t say anything. She guessed she had nothing to say. Vilos was not a fool either, so he would know that the best outcome for now was for the Empress to use poison alone. If he was not careful, Sorel and the Emperor could become involved. The Emperor approached her and Terence.

 

“I’m sorry for ruining your precious wedding like this. Sorel and her maid will be taken to her imperial palace for questioning, calm your guests down, and finalize the marriage.”

 

The idea was to end the situation at this point and end the wedding. A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Terence’s well-shaped mouth for an instant.

 

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

 

Terence looked back at her and said.

 

“This was a ploy by Her Majesty the Empress to frame my wife. If things had gone as planned, our family would have been accused of trying to harm the royal family.”

 

The Emperor remained silent and listened to what he said. His expression was calm, but there was dark anger in his eyes as he looked at Terence.

 

“I feel fully responsible for this incident. How can I compensate you?”

 

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Translator Note: