Episode 5. D-day 99(3)
The emperor, who had been speaking in an affectionate tone, once again stiffened his face.
“Why aren’t you speaking? Ah, as expected, you…”
“Deltan!”
It was an instinctive choice. The primal fear that if I kept my mouth shut, the next person to be beaten and lying on the ground would be me, moved my lips.
“Baron Deltan’s daughter chose this necklace.”
I uttered those words and tightly closed my eyes.
❀❀❀❀
After that, I don’t know how I spent my time with the emperor. He dressed me up like a doll, changed my clothes, and replaced my jewelry with completely different ones before finally letting me go.
“It’s unbelievable that people in the palace still dare to belittle Marygold like this. Bring them immediately, especially Baron Deltan’s concubine, make sure she can’t walk here herself.”
The last words I heard as I left the emperor’s chamber were still vivid in my mind. I probably wouldn’t forget them anytime soon.
When I returned to my room, I flopped down on the bed. Both the maids and the servants had tried to humiliate me. The palace servants who had dressed me according to the emperor’s orders had stripped me of the heavy corset and petticoat.
‘It must have been unnecessary to wear these in the first place. Or perhaps, it’s out of fashion now.’
Either way, I couldn’t muster any more anger. They had all been dragged to the imperial palace.
But that didn’t mean I felt grateful to the emperor. I pressed my fingers against my temples. An expletive slipped out of my lips.
“This is ridiculous.”
The emperor himself was so shocking that I couldn’t fulfill my original goal of going to Lord Bohan’s estate. My swollen cheek, from where he had struck me, was still sore, and my ear still stung.
Terrified to return to my room, I vomited up the little food I had eaten. Exhausted, I lay down on the bed, gasping for breath.
‘Well, there are all kinds of games out there. What’s more surprising is that this ridiculous setting passed the age rating.’
As I thought this, I absentmindedly wiped my lips with the back of my hand, and the system window appeared.
※The Villainess does not swear.
In my already frazzled state, the status window was even more annoying, scratching at my nerves. I jumped up and shouted into the air.
“Saying it’s ridiculous is ridiculous! Then what should I say?”
※ The villain can only cast an elegant turn and mock spell. Continuously swearing may result in penalties.
“Ugh, seriously.”
So lenient to other characters and strict only with me in this game!
‘When I go back to my original world. I’m all going to complain. I’ll report you to the broadcasting authority for violating the ratings’
I couldn’t even curse or grab that so-called system by the collar. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and hope for a better tomorrow. I buried my face in my hands. I still felt dirtied all over.
‘Marygold must have been Sienna’s mother.’
Seeing him cursing Sienna for taking her away, it seemed that Marygold had passed away after giving birth to Sienna. Then, he had searched aimlessly for a woman who resembled Marygold, but he eventually realize that the daughter he despised looked the most like the woman he loved.
‘I don’t even need to see it. When she was young, she probably mistreated her father, he taught her nothing, and when she grew up, she must have shown her violent and crazy behavior. What could such a father have taught his daughter?’
That’s why the whip was conveniently coiled around her hand in the morning.
The emperor cherished Sienna, but at the same time, it wasn’t Sienna that he cherished; it was because Sienna served as a substitute for Marygold.
‘So that’s why everyone looks down on Sienna.’
Even now, as I was vomiting, no one asked if I was okay. That was the evidence.
‘When I left to visit Lord Bohan’s estate, no one followed me.’
At first, I thought Sienna was being mistreated because she was such a villain. But by this point, I was convinced that every situation was out to get Sienna.
I covered my face with my palms.
‘Ah, Lady Villain! No, it’s a shame to call you a villain! Why are you so kind, sister?’
Whether the emperor genuinely cherished her or not, Sienna had the power. She was the woman who resembled Marygold the most in the world. But Sienna never used that power. Whether she didn’t know how to wield it or her pride was hurt because she resembled her mother, I couldn’t say for sure.
‘Just create discomfort in advance, and the dismissive maids will be scared in the name of His Majesty. Then they wouldn’t play such malicious tricks or, at the very least, things wouldn’t escalate to this extent.’
But then again, the emperor was too crazy to use it properly. I shouldn’t be saying this about someone else, but it’s a different story when I’m back in front of the emperor.
I shivered as I remembered him grabbing me by the hair and shaking me. I closed my eyes.
‘Ah, I’m tired. I just want to sleep.’
As if my body had been waiting for that thought, it suddenly felt heavy, as if I was sinking. I was in a half-asleep, half-awake state, barely conscious.
‘No! I’ve wasted a whole day already! If I sleep and wake up, there will only be 98 days left!’
As I tried to get up from the bed, it felt like invisible hands were pulling me back by the shoulders. But I managed to get up with great effort. I let out a sigh and opened my door, stepping outside.
‘It’s still late afternoon, judging by the long daylight hours. I can still visit Lord Bohan’s estate now.’
Please arrange a carriage so that I can go to Lord Bohan’s estate!
I was about to ask for that when I heard murmurs coming from the nearest sitting room to my room.
It was about me.
“Ah, I really didn’t want to come to Princess Sienna’s palace.”
“It’s the worst.”
“I can still hear the screams.”
“Don’t worry. Lord Dalton wouldn’t leave his daughter alone.”
“Will he really? He might just ignore her. There were rumors that she’s not his biological daughter.”
I leaned against the sitting room door and let out a sigh.
“The emperor really took everyone away. That’s why the palace is so empty. New maids must have come in.”
It was embarrassing, but at least there would be no one to lift me up like before. Thinking about it that way, a corner of my heart felt relieved. I had no intention of getting slapped by the emperor again, all because of some unknown piece of jewelry.
‘That aside, I should talk about going to Lord Bohan’s estate.’
As I thought about it, I realized I was still wearing high heels. However, standing here absentmindedly meant that there was no pressure on my ankles. When I relaxed for a moment, my legs trembled, and my body and the sitting room door swayed.
“Ah.”
It was almost like I was about to fall, and I let out a small groan without realizing it. The gazes of the maids who had been chatting and sitting down passed through the open door of the sitting room and fell on me.
“…?”
However, not a single person stood up to greet me, not even a word of courtesy. No one approached me to say hello. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘What’s this?’
Weren’t they supposed to be polite to me if they had seen the former princess being taken away by the emperor? I was puzzled, and at that moment, a choice came to my mind.
▶ What are you looking at? Get lost.
▶ Aren’t you my maids? Why hasn’t anyone said a word? Are your mouths sealed?
Under normal circumstances, I would have chosen the first option and kicked them out. But right now, I was feeling quite incredulous myself. I spoke in an irritated tone.
“Aren’t you my maids? Why hasn’t anyone said a word? Are your mouths sealed?”
What on earth did they mean by ignoring me like this? I furrowed my brow.
“Pfft.”
Laughter suddenly erupted in the silent sitting room. The laughter grew louder.
“Kuk.”
“Haha.”
They openly laughed at me, and it was when I bit my lip.
The woman who seemed to have the highest status among the maids spoke sarcastically.
“Isn’t it Princess Sienna herself who said that talking to lower-ranked people lowers her dignity? You’ve said it loudly not only in private but also at balls. You said it’s better for maids and such not to speak at all.”
The person who closed her mouth first was Sienna?
‘Why on earth?’
Even if she didn’t have a mother, Sienna was the first princess. Could she be so openly disrespectful and get away with it? Was she openly asserting her authority too?
‘They must have let her get away with that.’
I felt a coldness run through my entire body.
As I was still reeling from the shock, the maid delivered the final blow.
“If you think you’re noble just because you have the Emperor’s blood, you’re sorely mistaken. Princess, you’re just borrowing His Majesty’s authority.”
“…!!”
I couldn’t take it any longer. When I clenched my fist, a choice appeared with a whoosh.
▶ Slap her.
▶ Hit her on the head with a wine bottle.
It’s true that I was furious from head to toe, but hitting her with a wine bottle, isn’t that attempted murder?
‘Besides, a wine bottle? Weren’t they just talking about it and even drinking? During working hours?’
I was so dumbfounded that I pursed my lips. It was then that an unexpected event seemed to occur in the system. Before I could choose an option, one of the maids rushed over.
“Princess.”
I turned my head. The maid stammered and said,
“Lord Daniel has come to visit.”
That darned fiancé of mine, it was the first time he seemed to be welcome.
