How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 30

Chapter 4: A Party, or Rather, a Chaotic Mess (7)

Huan’s singing was as impressive as expected. I thought he might sing something grand like an opera piece, but instead, a gentle melody flowed from his lips. Even though he had been reluctant, once he started singing, it was as if he had become a different person. Huan was taking this very seriously, likely because he gives his all in everything he does.

“Kyaa, Lord Huan!”

The secret fan club known as “Huan’s Admirers” was larger than I had anticipated. The prime spots near the stage were filled with a throng of female students, all of whom were completely engrossed in Huan’s performance. It was quite surprising to see Lady Corset among them, enthusiastically cheering. Lady Corset, your heart is still young!

“He just looked at me!”

“No, it was at me!”

Throughout his song, Huan kept glancing at the audience. This led to some disputes among the female students.

“Isn’t he looking at Seria?”

“Oh, that must be it…”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Seria he was looking at—it was me. At first, I also thought Huan was looking at Seria, but the menacing look in his eyes made it clear that he was glaring at me instead.

‘Ugh…’

The intensity of his stare sent chills down my spine. I had a feeling that once he got off the stage, he wouldn’t let me off easy. How terrifying…

“And now, the next contestant…”

“I, um, I’d like to withdraw!” 

The other contestant, apparently overwhelmed by Huan’s performance and the intensity of the situation, decided to drop out.

Huan’s song ended, and it was now the turn of the nameless male student. The announcer approached the student with the megaphone, but the poor guy, his face pale as a sheet, stepped down from the stage without singing a note. Clearly, he had been shaken by Huan’s near-professional singing skills. The sight of him walking away in defeat was filled with pity. As I watched him leave, I silently wished him luck in improving his singing skills for next time, while also preparing to make my exit.

“Now, Huan, please go to the woman you like!” the announcer declared.

With the other student’s withdrawal, Huan was declared the winner. He watched the fleeing student with a look of disdain before stepping off the stage. Ignoring the loud cheers of his fan club, “Huan’s Admirers,” he began making his way toward Seria.

“Huan, over here…” Seria said softly.

“Radel Karel,” Huan suddenly called out.

Huh? Why is he coming towards me?

Ignoring Seria, who was shyly smiling and fidgeting in anticipation, Huan headed straight in my direction. I had been ready to slip away—actually, I was planning to make a run for it—but I froze in place when I realized Huan was coming straight at me. What is he doing? Why isn’t he going to Seria? Go to her, shoo, shoo!

I had orchestrated the impromptu singing duel and was now terrified of the consequences, so I tried to sneak out. But seeing Huan approach me with an ominous aura made my legs feel like they were glued to the floor. What do I do?

“Huan, I really enjoyed your song.”

Seria intervened, grabbing Huan’s arm just in time. She was smiling sweetly, while Huan looked visibly uncomfortable. Ha! It seems you’re stuck with Seria after all, Huan! Even though I wasn’t thrilled to owe Seria one, I couldn’t waste this opportunity to escape.

“Huan, see you later at the party!” I called out as I turned to leave.

“Hey, you! Wait!” Huan shouted after me.

But I was already making my exit, not daring to look back.

I thought I heard Huan shouting, but it must have been my imagination. I sprinted towards the party’s waiting room at full speed. Vivian was probably there, eagerly exchanging information with others.

It’s a shame I missed the play. Instead, I got to witness Huan’s impressive singing skills. Next time, I’ll make sure to watch the play! 

On a side note, I later heard that a new tradition started at the academy where students have singing duels before the play begins.

***

“…Miss, what happened to your hair…?” 

Vivian gasped in shock when she saw my hair, then sighed and rubbed her temples. It seemed like she was trying to keep her composure as she carefully began to untangle my hair.

“I’ll start by fixing this tangled mess and then help you into your dress.”

“Sorry, and thanks.”

Sitting in front of the mirror, I watched Vivian brush my hair, still shaken by the state it was in. I apologized again, feeling guilty for all the trouble I was causing her.

“…Miss, where is your coat?”

“Oh, right.”

Just as I was about to change into the dress, I remembered I had left my coat behind. I had taken it off and left it in the audience area before the event began…

“Oh no, my invitation was in the coat pocket!”

“I’ll go retrieve it. Please stay seated, Miss.”

Vivian said this as she quickly headed out to retrieve it from where I told her I had left it. By now, the play had likely ended, so the area should be empty.

I paced around the waiting room, unable to settle my nerves. Losing the coat was one thing, but if I lost the invitation, I wouldn’t be able to enter the party. How could I make such a mistake? I’d been told before that I was a bit scatterbrained, but I didn’t think it was this bad.

“Sigh, Miss…”

“Vivian, did you find it?”

Vivian’s expression was grim, and she was breathing heavily from running. My heart sank even before she shook her head slowly in response.

“There was nothing there when I got there.”

“What should we do now…?”

“Well, there’s no time to waste. Let’s start getting you ready. We can have someone else look for the invitation…”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”

There wasn’t enough time to search for the invitation and get ready at the same time, so I hired someone to look for the coat and invitation. Even while I was changing into my dress, getting my hair done, and putting on makeup, my mind was consumed with the thought of the missing invitation. What if I couldn’t get into the party? I’d worked so hard on learning to dance… even though I hadn’t improved much.

“It’s all done. I’m going to head out and search as well.”

“Yes, please.”

Vivian ran off again to look for the invitation. I felt guilty for making her go through so much trouble today. But seriously, what was I going to do about that invitation? Was I going to have to go home in defeat? Imagining my pathetic self heading home, I reluctantly started walking towards the party entrance.

“What are you doing here?”

As I was moping around near the entrance, I unexpectedly ran into the Crown Prince. His golden hair seemed oddly fitting against the backdrop of the setting sun, which only made me feel more drained.

“You seem unusually down today.”

“No way! I’m always full of… en… er… gy…”

My voice trailed off, and I slumped. The thought of the lost invitation crept back into my mind, making me feel even more dejected. Oh, invitation, where are you? Please come back to me, sob. Seeing me suddenly on the verge of tears, the Crown Prince gave me a curious look.

“Is something troubling you?”

“Well, actually…”

After explaining the situation, I felt a bit relieved. Eden, who surprisingly listened to my story quietly, nodded in understanding.

“So, you’re saying you won’t be able to enter the party.”

“Yes, that’s about right.”

“Hm, good luck with that.”

The Crown Prince absentmindedly patted my head a few times before walking away. Was he really just going to listen and leave like that?

Feeling bewildered, I hurried after him.

“Are you just going to leave like that?”

“What else should I do?”

“Um, well…”

Right… It’s not like the Crown Prince can magically make my invitation appear. What was I even hoping for? Feeling down again, I followed Eden aimlessly to the entrance of the party.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“Here, take this invitation.”

The guard, who must have been a$signed as the doorman for the day, quickly straightened up upon seeing Eden. His hands trembled as he accepted the invitation from the Crown Prince, clearly overwhelmed by the encounter. Well, it’s no wonder he’s nervous—after all, Eden is the future emperor and currently holds the second most powerful position in the empire… Wait a minute…

“Um, miss, where is your invitation…?”

“I don’t have one!”

“What?”

The guard looked flustered as I responded confidently. Yes, I had lost my invitation, so I didn’t have it. But, there’s another way to get into the party without an invitation!

“Your Highness!”

“…?”

I smiled brightly at Eden, who looked down at me indifferently. It was the typical gaze and att*tude of someone in power. Seeing that, I smiled even more broadly.

“How about a little abuse of power?”

The Crown Prince stared at me as if pondering what I could possibly mean, but then his red lips curved into a smile as he seemed to catch on.

“Hmm, abuse of power, you say…”

“What do you think?”

I had resolved to get through this crisis by using the immense influence of the Crown Prince, not just within the academy but throughout the entire empire.

Luckily, this prince with a notorious personality seemed intrigued by my suggestion. Just look at that smile—it’s the very image of a villain’s grin.

“Your Highness…?”

The guard, who had been listening to our conversation in a daze, was visibly anxious. It seemed he had caught on to the situation.

“You’ve probably heard enough.”

The Crown Prince said, casually placing a hand on my shoulder. With an arrogant smile, he continued,

“Just let her in.”

The guard’s face turned pale, beads of sweat running down like rain. As a guard, he was duty-bound to fulfill his role, but defying the Crown Prince’s orders would surely lead to dire consequences. He found himself at the most critical crossroads of his life.

“But, without an invitation?”

“So, you’re saying no?”

“No, of course not. Please, go ahead.”

In the end, the pressure from the Crown Prince forced the guard to open the door, his already pale face now ghostly white. I felt a little guilty seeing the guard’s stiff expression, but I decided to be a bit shameless about it.

“As expected of the Crown Prince!”

Thanks to the ill-tempered and self-centered Crown Prince, I was able to enter the party without any trouble. If this man beside me had been a righteous and upright prince, I would likely still be outside, arguing with the guard.

“Good thing you’re not exactly nice!”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“Of course it is!”

I stretched out my hand towards the Crown Prince for a high five, but he just furrowed his brows, looking a bit displeased.

“Now, stretch out your hand like this!”

“…Like this?” 

A sharp, crisp sound echoed through the air. I had happily slapped Eden’s hand, but the moment it happened, I was suddenly struck by fear. What if he later said, “How dare you lay a hand on the Crown Prince?” and then had my head chopped off?

I quickly pulled my hand back and looked up at the Crown Prince. He was staring at his hand, a peculiar expression on his face. He didn’t seem to be in a bad mood, so I felt somewhat relieved.

“…Interesting.”

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind, I should be going now.”

With that, the Crown Prince spoke and then walked away quickly. But then, as if something had come to mind, he turned back to look at me.

“If you ever need help again, just let me know.”

“…!”

It seemed he had taken quite a liking to abusing his power. Eden was smiling, but somehow, that smile seemed more like that of a villain, leaving me with an uneasy feeling. Did I just lead the Crown Prince down the wrong path?