Lady Misfortune: Daddy, I'll Be A Righteous Villainess!

The dining table in the morning was suddenly filled with thunderstruck silence after the shocking announcement.

'I'm grounded because I'm closer to my grandparents and cousin than I am to him?!'

Lady wonders if he can hear himself right now. She also wonders if Maximilian even knows what the word, 'grounded,' is supposed to mean.

'Isn't that for kids who'd done naughty things…?' she pondered with a raised brow, regarding her father quietly from the other side of the dining table. 

'So, is he saying that being close to our relatives is a naughty thing?'

It's true that Lady has been spending too much time with Benedict and Penelope. 

They would visit every other day just to shower her with presents, take a stroll and chat with her, let her try out dresses, and watch her eat all the delicious sweets they've bought for her from foreign countries. She would be lying if she said she did not enjoy it. After all, this was the first time she experienced being doted on - this was the attention she was deprived of for the rest of her previous life. Now, they are lavishing more than enough of that on her, and she can't be any more grateful.

On another note, whenever Benedict and Penelope were not around, Lady would talk about Fallon and Calixtus most of the time.

Ever since that night, she never saw either of them again. That was because both children were advised not to strain themselves too much and to stay at home as much as possible. She could not contact her cousin even if she wanted to since she was always told that he was focusing on recuperating and should not be disturbed – but she knew that they were just using that as an excuse. So, she decided to ask her father to pay him a visit instead.

"No, you can't. The two of you are not allowed to leave your home for at least a month. Weren't you listening to your doctors? Seeing each other can remind you of bad memories. Do you want that?" was what Maximilian told Lady then.

Joke's on whoever decided that. She's not traumatized at all.

That experience has been an exhilarating and enlightening adventure if anything. She can't speak for Fallon, though, since she's not the one who's almost got killed by a cliff. There were times when she remembered Xavier, too. But all she could do was ask about how he was, and she would always get the answer that he was already in jail – that's it.

Lady has a strong feeling that she will see Xavier again someday, however.

"Listen, I've been talking with your uncles and aunts..." Maximilian brought up all of the sudden, making Lady look up to him once more and halting her train of thoughts.

"They're starting to notice that my daughter and I don't seem to be as close as we're expected to be, which they find kind of strange considering all the stories I told them about our times together. Rumors have even spread about you preferring your grandparents over me, too – and don't let me get started with how you chose to join your grandfather in his car rather than mine that night. With that said, I believe that it's only a matter of time before those uncles and aunts of yours begin investigating."

Now, that's not her fault. She's not the one who made up lies about having a child, to begin with. This is what he gets for faking their relationship.

"As a solution, I shall refrain you from spending more time with them than you do with me," he ordered with absolute confidence, and she tried not to make face then.

At first glance, it may look like Maximilian is simply jealous. Yet, unfortunately, Lady knows better.

If it's for keeping up appearances, he'll do anything. She was the one who made him, so she should know. He totally hated it when his elder siblings would find even the tiniest dirt on him and rub it on his face.

"May I ask something, Father…?" Lady chimed in at last, finally finding words to say.

"How does that count as being grounded? Is being with Grandpa and Granny making me look bad? Did I do something wrong?"

"No. Not really…" Maximilian said, a little taken aback by the question.

"I just thought that I should restrict you for a bit."

She made an unimpressed look at that, which was apparently noticed by the butler. It seemed that he's able to pick up on what she's hinting at here. If he hadn't approached him and whispered in his ear, she would've said it herself.   

Eventually, Maximilian spoke up again, clearing things up with Lady.

"Oh, I see. It appears that this is not how 'grounding a child' works," he blurted out, talking mostly to himself.

'Yeah, that's right. I ain't doin' nothin' here,' she thought silently, listening in. 

"How should we call this, then?"

'I don't know. Acting like a good father but failing miserably?'

"Since we need to prove our closeness, we should be doing things. I don't know how to call what we do."

'Must we really give a name to our fake bonding?'

"Nevermind. Let's just say that we're in need of more proof that we're close. I'll be taking you out somewhere today."

'But you just said I'm not allowed to go out!' 

Lady isn't sure what Maximilian is thinking at this point.

In the story, the point of view is from the heroine for the most part. So, this part of the timeline has been glossed over. She knows what she should be doing now, though. Before the High School ARC begins – before the protagonist and antagonist cross paths, she should already fix everything that has diverted from the original plot.

'And that includes making Fallon's father evil! I have to make Calixtus manipulate me!' 

That's one of the main reasons why Lady wants to meet up with Fallon. She has to do something about Calixtus since he's one of the 'Big Three' of The Princess of the High School. 

'Hehe! I just came up with that title recently. Doesn't the 'Big Three' sound sick or what…?!' she thought with a proud look on her face, which earned her father's puzzled expression from the opposite side of the dining table.

'So, basically, the 'Big Three' is composed of the book's main villains. One of them is Lady, of course. She's the leader since she's the baddest! Next, there's Calixtus, and the last one is a character who'll make a debut in the future.'

In any case, Lady must make sure that these three particular characters would act according to the plot. Calixtus is currently a problem since he obviously hasn't turned to the evil side. She doesn't regret saving Fallon, of course – not even a little bit. 

Still, she's concerned that things will take an unexpected turn because of this.

'That aside, I also have to come up with ways on how to be evil myself. Should I start with bullying the houseworkers first?" she wondered, turning her head slightly to look at the menservants and maids who were standing near the doorway of the dining room.

They all smiled at her when they noticed her staring. That made her frown.

'But they're so kind and sweet to me! How can I bully them with those faces?! And they give me cookies all the time! What if they stop giving me cookies if I act mean to them?!'

Again, she has found herself in a dilemma. The homemade sweets that these people bake are just too heavenly - they're on another level. While her grandparents would always give her imported goods that were more expensive, there was still something special about freshly baked delicacies.

'No, wait! Wouldn't it make me look evil if I just demand them cookies? That way, I'll appear bossy!' was what Lady decided on in the end, looking all proud once again.

Maximillian only watches the whole time.

His daughter appears to be in her own little world. Her expression would change from troubled to smug then thoughtful to satisfied. It's kind of intriguing. But instead of asking what she's thinking about, he chooses to be quiet and simply observe her –

If only to give her more time before he drops the last bombshell for this morning.

"So, as I was saying, we're going out today…" Maximilian started again, gathering Lady's full attention once more.

"Summer vacation is almost over. You'll be starting school soon. I already enrolled you in the same academy where your cousins study at. Today, I'll take you there so you can get used to it."

That got her eyes bulging wide in surprise. 

She should have known that this was what 'daughter-and-father bonding' meant to this man. Most parents would take their kids to the park or the mall. But still, she's not complaining, and in fact, she's overjoyed when she heard she's going to be attending classes at last.

Lady will finally see one of her biggest dreams fulfilled – and that is, going to school as any normal kids do.