A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady

“It’s the last time we’ll be in this room, where we’ve made many precious memories, Milady.”

“No matter who listens to you now, you sound like you’re breaking up with a lover.”

“But I really do think I’ll miss it. The other maids are also sad.”

“You’re the only one I’ll be bringing with me to the capital though.”

“Hehe, yes! Please take good care of me even when we’ve moved to that place!”

“Yes. Let’s go then.”

At Violet’s positive answer, Mary smiled brightly.

As she was now dressed and done preparing for the day, Violet stood up from her seat. Her disposition had been dark earlier because she had stayed up all night, but now, she was elegantly adorned more than anyone else.

“Ah, I almost forgot, Milady. Do you know? I heard that the Third Young Master will be coming back next week.”

“Is that so? Well, that’s one meeting I’m not looking forward to.”

“I heard that he’s got quite a fiery personality.”

“It’s exactly as you say, yes.”

Thinking about the family’s youngest child, Cairn, Violet’s eyes narrowed.

Nevertheless, Mary smiled brightly and pretended to be an escort knight for her lady. Violet did not scold the playful girl.

* * *

Finally, Violet was about to escape this dreadfully exhausting ducal household.

However, one way or another, her excitement was brutally shattered.

Before even recalling her memories of her previous life, Violet had oft-imagined leaving her family.

However, in all the scenarios she had imagined, the thought of this instance happening never crossed her mind even once.

“…You.”

“……”

A terribly haggard man—more unkempt than Violet, who stayed up all night—sauntered threateningly towards her with a staggering gait.

At this, Violet grimaced.

As the man had a heavily built physique, the pressure he exuded was enormous.

‘Now that I think about it, today is the end of his probation.’

At the thought of the punishment that had been imposed upon Mikhail, Violet’s eyes narrowed.

But at that moment, the inebriated man raised his arm.

“……!”

It happened in a flash.

Right then and there, several knights blocked Mikhail, who then shouted with a hoarse voice, “Get out of my way! How dare you all call yourselves guards when you’re blocking my way!”

Pressing down on the knot in the middle of his brows, Roen let out a sigh.

“…Sorry. I should have made a countermeasure for this in advance.”

There was no reason for him to do so, but Roen stepped forward and apologized to her.

Violet glanced once at Roen, but nonetheless stepped forward as well.

“You seem to have something to say to me, so let’s hear it.”

“But Violet, Elder Brother is…!”

Raising one hand, Violet cut Roen off mid-sentence.

All of a sudden, Violet was struck with the impulse of not playing nice with Mikhail.

As she had stayed up all night because of her confrontation with Aileen, now faced with Mikhail, Violet was just curious.

Why did he hate her so much.

Why did he have to denounce her to that extent.

“……”

Roen backed down.

Though Mikhail was completely immobilized by the knights who had caught him, Mikhail’s eyes glinted dangerously as he looked up at Violet.

Recalling the memories of being hit by that large hand before, Violet smiled wryly.

“…You.”

Unlike how he usually sounded, Mikhail’s voice was hoarse. His green eyes, as verdant as the lush foliage, shone with such raw emotions.

The eyes are the windows to the soul.

As Violet gauged what kind of emotion and resentment was contained in those eyes, she beamed.

However, Roen stepped in between his older brother and younger sister.

“You, with Aileen… You used every little reason— Any reason at all to harass that poor child.”

“…Ha.”

This was all the half-asleep voice answered.

Violet was so baffled that she could not stop the brief burst of laughter.

“I was wondering what it is that you wanted to say to me, but you came all the way here just for that?”

“You did it first, you… You harassed that child first…”

Mikhail uttered the words over and over like a madman.

Violet raised one hand once again and gestured towards the knights. As they were holding him back as though he was a criminal, they reluctantly followed her unspoken order to let him go.

Right then, Mikhail sprang up.

He had become such a mess like this, yet he was here to fault and criticize someone else.

As Mikhail glared at her ferociously with a murderous look, Violet took a step back from him.

“Yes, sure. If you want to insist on the technicalities of it all, I was the one who harassed that girl first.”

Violet spoke in a tone mixed with mirth.

Roen shook his head and swept a hand over his face.

“But you were the ones who condemned me without making an attempt to ask me why I did that.”

“You! If you truly had been falsely accused, then you wouldn’t have acted like that!”

At this point, Roen was the only one who felt any guilt. Violet still hated Roen tremendously, but she concluded that Roen was at least better than Mikhail.

Roen beckoned to the knights. They couldn’t understand what was going on, and they didn’t know whether to listen to the orders of the ducal lady or the household heir.

“What did I do?” Violet asked.

“You! Violet! You’ve done something that you shouldn’t have done! Your reasons don’t matter at all!”

“Oh, how truly shocking to hear.”

So you’re saying that I’m evil through and through, Violet murmured.

Mikhail took another step closer to Violet.

However, in the face of that man’s wrath, Roen drew out his sword.