Episode 4. D-day 99(2)
Sienna left for the Imperial Palace, giggling and cheerful, following a maid, as if she was happy just to leave this place.
Duke Percy Stewart tilted his head slightly as he watched her fiery red hair fluttering like waves. ‘This is strange.’
Sienna Liata.
He had never mixed her with conversations, not in formal gatherings nor in private. But he knew about her. In the palace, stories could be heard even if you weren’t interested in them.
She was the Emperor’s first daughter and most resembled the second empress, whom the Emperor loved so much that he loved her to death. It held significant meaning even now, with the Emperor’s power firmly established, but in reality, she was called a villainess more than the first princess by people.
‘If it were me, I would’ve firmly grasped that fact and shaken it.’
But she spent her days tormenting innocent maids, like an ignorant child who didn’t know what she held in her hand. It was no different from wielding a huge sword and cutting grass.
‘It’s inevitable. Not everyone can instinctively understand their place.’
That’s why Percy never bothered taking an interest in Sienna.
Until today.
‘She’s a unique woman.’
Percy twisted his lips. What caught his attention today was Sienna’s expression.
‘I don’t know what she’s thinking.’
They had met several times before, but each time, Sienna’s gaze had been obsessively fixed on Daniel.
But today was different.
‘Is she amazed? No, she’s enjoying this?’
Even with Daniel Bohan by her side, Sienna’s gaze was fixed only on Percy. Her sparkling eyes were unfamiliar. It was incomparable that Sienna, of all people, would look at him with such eyes.
The words she muttered were venomous, fitting the rumor of her being a villainess. They were somewhat crude, too.
‘What concerns me more is the expression when she said those words.’
Her face contorted as if she were forcing herself to say words she didn’t want to. It was strange. Her surprise at blurting out such words she didn’t want to say was suspicious.
Above all, to be delighted at the Emperor’s summons.
Percy knew more about her than Sienna might think. It wasn’t so much about being interested in her as it was due to Sienna’s peculiar circumstances.
Thanks to Sienna, the thin dress she wore fluttered as she hopped around. A corset and petticoat, and on top of it all, a thin dress.
‘Her outfit is strange.’
At the moment, Sienna’s attire had an unbelievably mismatched combination of colors. Unless someone had dressed her up as a joke, her fashion sense was horrendous. Percy raised an eyebrow at the maids who assisted her.
‘But oddly, she looks kind of radiant.’
This Sienna, whom he had heard referred to as a ‘villainess,’ should have thrown shoes or jewelry at the maids who displeased her, considering her reputation.
‘She’s an interesting woman.’
Percy’s gaze followed Sienna as she disappeared.
❀❀❀❀
I’ve said it before, but the villainesses in female-oriented games can only be played by extraordinary insiders in the real world.
They need to have maxed-out social skills, be diligent, and always presentable. They should be a symbol of pride for nobles, even if they appear harsh to commoners. These hardships are calculated carefully, so that the protagonist can overcome them.
Watching these characters, I can’t help but wonder.
‘What could be bothering this villainess? If I had wealth, fame, status, and beauty like her, I would distance myself from the protagonist like a North Star. I’d peacefully finish my life, knitting while having a Sphinx cat on my lap instead of pining for the hapless male lead.’
But then again, some things you only truly understand by experiencing them.
‘It hadn’t even been a day since I possessed this body, yet I could already understand why the villainesses became villains.’
“Oh, you’ve finally arrived.”
The Emperor was even dirtier and uglier than I had imagined. His deeply wrinkled face was covered in black mushrooms, and his complexion, no matter how you looked at it, was that of an old man on the brink of death.
His sanity seemed to be rapidly diminishing, and his eyes flickered like the flames of a goblin. He looked completely insane.
‘What’s with that person?’
That person was Sienna Liata’s father.
He was the emperor who ruled this country.
‘I feel disgusted. Can I really feel this disgusted towards my own father?’
Even if my souls were from different worlds, an instinctual aversion washed over me. I clenched my trembling hands tightly.
As I battled my revulsion, a man with only a robe on his emaciated body gestured for me to come closer.
“Come here.”
However, I couldn’t readily approach him.
Even in the hazy, smoke-filled room, the writhing figures of women were vividly etched into my eyes. People who had clearly suffered severe beatings lay moaning on the floor. I swallowed hard.
▶Did you have fun?
▶Oh my, we have a guest.
Fun? What kind of fun was this? Yesterday’s whipping and the excessive violence in this female-oriented game made me question if there was too much blood. I awkwardly selected the second choice.
“…Oh my, we have a guest..”
Upon hearing that, the Emperor laughed unpleasantly, as if he found it amusing.
“Yes, indeed. I had them all brought here because they resembled you. But disappointingly, none of them could replace you.”
I decided not to ask what they were supposed to replace. I didn’t want to trigger the madman’s switch and risk getting beaten as well.
“Come here quickly.”
“Uh, okay.”
Ignoring the Emperor’s urge was not an option. I awkwardly lifted my foot towards him. It was precisely at that moment.
The Emperor, who had been chuckling with glee, suddenly turned cold. He asked with a menacing tone, “Wait. Who adorned you with the blue turquoise?”
“Me? Well…”
I didn’t even know if I had adorned myself with blue turquoise. I lowered my head in response to the emperor’s question and noticed a large, sparkling turquoise pendant hanging from my neck.
“My servants did. They did it without asking.”
I was about to explain when a dialogue option appeared.
▶ Turquoise, you like it, don’t you?
▶ In my palace, there are still those who dare to insult you.
‘What’s this? A perfectly normal dialogue choice.’
The first option was straightforward, while the second one was provocative.
‘My servants, they’ve been unusually quiet. It seems like they attached something meaningful to me.’
The fact that they did such a thing without any expression or explanation sent shivers down my spine. But I couldn’t just provoke him by choosing the second option. So, I went with the first.
“Turquoise, you like it, don’t you?”
At that moment, it happened. The Emperor, who had been ice-cold, erupted like a volcano.
“You’re not Marygold!!”
– Crash!!
“Huh?”
It all happened so quickly that I didn’t realize what had happened until I found myself lying on the ground. My ears were ringing, and my cheeks felt like they were on fire. One earring had flown off, and blood trickled from my torn earlobe.
I clutched my cheek, sitting on the floor in a daze, trying to process what had just occurred.
‘Did he hit me just now? And what did he call me? Marygold? Who’s that?’
“Yes, you remind me now. Sienna! You wretched woman who stole Marygold from me!”
“Ah!”
My throat was suddenly constricted by the unexpected turmoil. Tears welled up uncontrollably as his merciless hands grabbed and shook me.
‘Am I going to die like this?’
It was only then that I realized why the people around me had collapsed. They had been beaten like this too, under the delusion that they were dealing with Marygold and then realizing the differences, they were brutally punished.
I was lying on the ground, struggling for breath when the emperor suddenly seemed to regain his senses and pulled me to my feet. Even his touch felt sinister, like a snake.
“Ah, Marygold. I’m sorry. What have I done to you… Wearing this turquoise necklace, it wasn’t your choice, right? Well, you’re my woman now. There’s no way you’d wear jewelry given by your former lover.”
I gasped for breath. The pain was too overwhelming for me to even think clearly. I just wanted to pass out, and at that moment, a dialogue option appeared above my head.
▶ (No response)
▶ The Baron Delten’s concubine chose this necklace. Please give the most miserable death to that woman.
I had an intuitive understanding. Choosing the second option would mean that the servant who selected this necklace for me would meet a dreadful end.
‘I should have known I’d end up like this. They deliberately made me wear it, even though they knew I’d be beaten.’
Was there any need to protect people like them? However, at the same time, uttering that name aloud made me hesitate. Being a bad person was one thing, but directly pushing a wicked person into hell was an entirely different matter.
I hesitated, trembling as I stared at the dialogue options, unable to make a choice.
