How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 36

Chapter 4: A Party, or Rather, a Chaotic Mess (13)

It was a fear unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Someone was threatening me, intending to harm me. It was too dark to see who it was, but judging by the size of the hand covering my mouth, it was definitely a man. Words like assault, robbery, and r**e flooded my mind, overwhelming me.

‘I can’t believe I’m about to become a victim of a crime on the night of a party. This can’t be happening!’

Today had been full of unexpected events—competing in the swordsmanship tournament, losing my invitation, and now this. It had been both the most challenging and, in some ways, the luckiest day for me. So, I had to believe I could get out of this situation too, somehow.

I struggled as hard as I could, trying to free myself. It didn’t seem like the man was armed, so maybe this was an impulsive attack. As my mind raced to figure out who the attacker might be, my body continued to fight back.

“Stay still!”

The man’s voice rose, sounding panicked as I thrashed around. It was a voice I had heard before, and recently at that. The low, gritty tone sparked something in my memory, but I couldn’t quite place it.

Just as I was on the verge of remembering, the man threw me to the ground. Though I landed on grass, the scattered stones made the impact painfully sharp. I winced in pain.

“Ugh…”

Crying out, I managed to lift my head and look at the man. The clouds slowly parted, allowing the moonlight to illuminate his face. As his features came into view, they became increasingly familiar. I knew this person.

“Giles!”

Giles Irivan. Lady Rachel’s fiancé—or rather, soon-to-be ex-fiancé—and easily the worst person I had encountered today. Staring up at his harsh, sinister face, the reality of the situation sank in.

He was the one who had attacked me.

Is he here for revenge? By exposing the fact that Giles was in debt to Lady Rachel, I caused him to face a broken engagement. The engagement hasn’t been officially annulled yet, but it will be soon. As a result, his secret was exposed, and the engagement was broken because of me, so he has no intention of letting me go.

”Because of you, my life is ruined!”

Giles glared at me with terrifying eyes. I could feel the murderous intent in his gaze. I really thought I might be beaten to death or strangled. I tried to escape, but Giles had me pinned down, preventing me from moving. He was heavy, painful, cold… and the fear came crashing down all at once.

”What are you doing!”

”Shut up! I’ve lost everything, so I have nothing to fear.”

Giles’s eyes flashed. It seemed he had lost his mind. It was obvious that trying to persuade him with words wouldn’t work. What should I do now? The garden was completely empty, not even an ant in sight. There was no one to help me.

”Let go of me, or I’ll scream!”

”No one comes here anyway, so it won’t help!”

That was true. With the party in full swing, who else would be walking in the garden besides me? Come to think of it, how did Giles know I was here? I hadn’t told anyone… except for that brief encounter with Seria. Could it be…?

It was a plausible suspicion, but I had to set it aside for now. I had to deal with this crazy man in front of me first, so I pushed the idle thoughts away.

”What should I do with you? Do you want your life to be ruined like mine?”

Giles laughed in a chilling manner. I realized that a person could be so broken, and I quickly looked around. Was there anything to throw, anything to distract him?

I searched the ground frantically, but all I could find were scattered stones. I thought about throwing one, but provoking him unnecessarily might shorten my life.

Even in this dire situation, my mind wasn’t working properly. What should I do? What can I do? Am I going to be assaulted and then found dead tomorrow? The thought was horrifying…

“…!”

Giles’s hand slid up my thigh. The sensation was like a disgusting insect crawling on me, and I couldn’t even scream. It was revolting. I wanted to get away from this man immediately.

“Well, at least you’ve got a pretty face, so this should be fun.”

I felt nothing but disgust. Fear was overshadowed by a growing hatred toward Giles. If I had a sword in my hand right now, I might have lost all reason and slashed at him.

“Your skin is so smooth.”

“Shut up.”

Unable to tolerate his increasingly invasive touch, I grabbed a nearby stone and threw it at him. In my heart, I wished I could hurl a boulder at him, but unfortunately, there were no boulders around, and even if there were, I wouldn’t have been able to lift one.

“You little—!”

The stone hit Giles squarely in the face, and he snarled in anger, grabbing a fistful of my hair. Blood began to trickle down his face. I couldn’t help but feel a slight satisfaction, and I let out a small, defiant smirk. In response, Giles gritted his teeth and raised his hand high.

“Maybe a good beating will knock some sense into you!”

I braced myself, closing my eyes tightly in fear. If that hit landed, it would probably split my lip. What if I ended up with bruises or a swollen face? Vivian would be so worried. Even in this terrifying moment, my mind was racing with thoughts.

“…Huh?”

Time passed, but I didn’t feel any pain. Confused, I cautiously opened my eyes. What I saw was Giles’s wrist being tightly held by someone else’s hand.

“You… you’re!”

Giles’s eyes were wide with shock, his mouth agape. Who could possibly make someone as reckless as Giles react like this? I slowly turned my head, filled with curiosity.

‘…Am I seeing things? There’s no way this person could be here.’

It was someone so unexpected that I had to question my own eyes. I was certain he was at the party, so why was he here?

“Kyle…”

Standing before me was a figure so perfect in appearance that it almost hurt to look at him. Seeing his now-familiar face, a wave of relief washed over me. I was safe. Kyle had come.

“K-Kailon Raven, w-what are you doing here?!”

Giles’s voice shook, his pupils darting frantically. He had been caught in the act, and by none other than a Sword Master. It seemed he had a clear vision of his impending doom, as he started trembling all over.

“Move.”

“Ah, aah! Alright, alright!”

All Kyle had to do was tighten his grip on Giles’s wrist, and the man yelped in pain, tears forming in his eyes. Kyle’s grip was clearly powerful, honed through constant training. Thanks to Kyle, I was finally free, and I slowly got to my feet.

“Are you okay?”

“…Yes, thank you.”

Even though I was still trembling with fear, Kyle gently placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. His voice seemed softer than usual, almost kind. He quickly scanned my body for any injuries, and when he didn’t find any, a look of relief crossed his face.

“That one.”

“H-help!”

Kyle, after making sure I was unharmed, pointed a finger at Giles. Already collapsed on the ground, trembling pitifully, Giles looked like he was about to faint just from Kyle’s gaze.

“What do you want me to do with him?”

Kyle’s eyes darkened, his expression so serious that I could tell he would kill Giles if I asked him to. But murder… that’s not an option. Though, I have to admit, the thought of doing something about that hand that touched my thigh is tempting. The disgusting sensation still makes my skin crawl. I spoke calmly, mostly to scare him.

“Should we kill him?”

“P-please, spare me!” 

Giles, panicking, scrambled to his feet and fled in terror. Kyle immediately drew his sword and was about to chase after him, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“Kyle, just let him go.”

“But…”

Kyle hesitated, then sighed deeply and gave up. I couldn’t let him go after Giles—if he did, Giles would likely end up dead. As much as I loathed him, killing him would mean he wouldn’t face justice.

For now, it didn’t matter if Giles ran away. We could catch him later. After all, Giles and his entire family were already on the brink of ruin. Even if not today, he would likely end up in prison eventually, for fraud, assault, and now sexual harassment. It was only a matter of time.

“But Kyle, how did you know to come here?”

“…Instinct.”

His simple answer made me chuckle. He really did have sharp instincts. With that thought, I started walking again, eager to get home.

‘My head hurts…’

I felt dizzy. The shock from the incident left me drained, and a severe headache was setting in. I pushed myself to keep walking, even though I was swaying on my feet.

“Ouch!”

I ended up twisting my ankle. The high heels were to blame. Fortunately, Kyle was quick to catch me, so I didn’t fall. As I steadied myself in his arms, I made a mental note never to wear these shoes again.

“Kyle?”

Kyle suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace. Surprised by the unexpected situation, I tried to squirm free, but he only held me tighter. A subtle fragrance tickled my nose. Although we had known each other for quite some time, this was the first time I had been so close to him. It was a bit suffocating, though.

“…I thought you were hurt.”

I heard Kyle’s voice above me, filled with relief.

He had been really worried about me. I couldn’t help but feel a wave of happiness at that thought.

“Kyle…”

I wanted to thank him again, but the words wouldn’t come out. The tension that had held me together was starting to release, and exhaustion washed over me like a wave. Kyle’s arms were warm and comforting, making my eyelids grow heavy.

As my eyelids slowly drooped, all my strength seemed to drain away. I knew I shouldn’t let myself lose consciousness here, but…

“Radel?”

With Kyle’s voice as the last thing I heard, I finally closed my eyes completely.

***

Kyle stood still, staring blankly at Radel, who had lost consciousness in his arms. She was smaller and more delicate than he had imagined. Holding her tightly, Kyle replayed the events that had just unfolded in his mind.

‘If I had been a little late, something terrible could have happened.’

Seeing her being threatened by that man, Giles, had made his blood boil. If that hand had struck her, Radel could have been shattered. It was an exaggerated thought, but somehow, Radel seemed fragile, as if she could truly break.

Kyle carefully lifted her as if she were a delicate glass sculpture.

“Mm…”

At the slightest movement from Radel, Kyle immediately halted his steps, worried. Was she in pain? Or maybe the position was uncomfortable? He found himself pondering these questions for a long time. Suddenly, he realized how foreign this kind of concern was to him and almost laughed.

He had never worried about anyone like this before, never cared so deeply. But now, here he was, carrying Radel in his arms like a princess. And it wasn’t the first time he had done something like this.

“Interesting.”

She always made him feel emotions he had never experienced before. He wasn’t entirely sure what this feeling was yet, but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it was quite the opposite—it felt good.

“Oh, Lord Kailon?”

As Kyle resumed walking, he encountered another student, presumably from the swordsmanship department, though Kyle couldn’t quite remember his name.

Kyle gave the male student a brief glance, uninterested, and attempted to walk past him, but the young man, with a friendly smile, approached instead.

“Isn’t that Lady Radel Karel? Why is she unconscious…?”

“Mind your own business.”

Despite Kyle’s cold response, the young man didn’t back off. He probably saw this as a chance to establish some sort of connection with Kyle.

Ugh, how bothersome. Kyle sighed deeply.

“Why don’t you let me take her instead? I can carry her—”

“Freeze.”

The young man, who had been smiling and reaching out toward Radel, suddenly froze in place. Kyle’s voice was icy cold, sharp enough to pierce through the air. The young man stood still, afraid to even breathe, as if Kyle might kill him if he so much as twitched.

“Don’t touch her. Don’t even look at her. Just get lost. Do you understand me?”

“Y-Yes…!”

Terrified by the murderous look in Kyle’s eyes, the young man teared up and ran off. Kyle could hear his sobs in the distance, but he paid no attention.

He had only spoken truthfully—he didn’t want anyone else to touch Radel. This was the first time Kyle had shown such possessiveness.

***

“Milady…!”

I woke up abruptly to the sound of Vivian’s voice. Seeing her sitting beside me, holding my hand tightly, I was startled. Dark circles were prominent under her eyes, and her lips were dry and chapped.

“Vivian… you have dark circles…”

“Milady, you’re finally awake!”

Vivian smiled brightly at me as I blinked my eyes open, though her smile was tinged with exhaustion. She looked as if she had been up all night working on something.

“Milady, you were carried here while unconscious, and it really gave me a scare.”

Oh, right. I remember losing consciousness in Kyle’s arms. So he brought me all the way back to the Karel estate. I felt a wave of guilt and gratitude toward Kyle. I’ll have to get him a gift to show my appreciation.

“Vivian, how long have I been lying here?”

“You’ve been resting all day, Milady.”

“What?! What about the academy?”

“Today is a holiday, Milady.”

Phew, I let out a sigh of relief. I had completely forgotten that the day after the party was a holiday… I must really be out of it lately.

“Wait… does that mean you’ve been by my side the whole time until I woke up?”

“Yes, Milady. That’s what a lady’s maid is supposed to do.”

Vivian looked so dependable and admirable, and I couldn’t help but gaze at her with shining eyes. I coughed a few times, my throat feeling strangely dry.

‘Why does my throat feel like this…’

It felt as if something was blocking it, which made sense after sleeping all day. As I cleared my throat, Vivian quickly stood up from her seat.

“Are you thirsty, Milady? I’ll fetch some water right away.”

“Sorry, yes please.”

Vivian hurried out of the room. Watching her leave, I stretched my arms wide, trying to shake off the stiffness in my body. I felt so sore. I’ll need to go for a walk later to loosen up.

With that thought, I got out of bed. I still had a slight headache, but it wasn’t enough to keep me from moving around.

‘…A lot happened yesterday.’

The thought of being harassed, especially by such an unpleasant man, still lingered with me, making my skin crawl. I could still feel the sensation of bugs crawling over my body. Ugh, how disgusting. As I thought about Giles, I bit my lip, but then shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Forget it, just forget it. I stretched my arms, trying to shake off the creepy feeling with some simple stretches. While balancing on one leg, Vivian quickly returned with a cup of water.

“Here you go, Milady.”

“Oh, thank you. I’m fine now, so you should rest too, Vivian. You look so pale…”

I touched Vivian’s face with concern. She treated me like a patient, but I was perfectly healthy. Honestly, just by looking, it seemed like Vivian was the one who was unwell. She had been running around for me during the party, so I wanted to give her a day off today.

“Go out and have some fun, or just relax in your room.”

“But I need to stay by your side, Milady…”

“I’m telling you, it’s fine. Take a full day of rest.”

Eventually, I managed to convince her to take a break. Even as she left the room, Vivian kept glancing back at me with worry in her eyes. Who would have thought it would be so difficult to get my maid to take a break?

Hmm, now what? Maybe I should eat something. My stomach was growling, demanding food. It was around 1 PM, the perfect time for lunch. Alright, time to head out and get something to eat…

“Oh, wait. I’m still in my pajamas.”

…Or so I thought, but realized that I was still in pajamas. Vivian must have changed me into them. As much as I didn’t want to, I would have to change into my regular clothes.

If I wandered around the estate in my pajamas and happened to run into Father, I’d surely be met with his sharp gaze and a lecture. Despite rarely speaking to me otherwise, he never missed a chance to scold me if I showed the slightest hint of behavior unbefitting a noble.

Instead of calling Vivian, I summoned another maid to help me get dressed. She must have been new because her clumsy hands made me sigh inwardly. I realized just how much I appreciated Vivian’s help after this. It took a bit longer than usual, but once I was finally dressed, I headed down to the dining room.

“I’ll just have something light. Please prepare it for me.”

Since I had just woken up, I only wanted a light meal. The maid quickly passed my order to the chef, who prepared the food swiftly. When the dishes were placed in front of me, I found myself pausing.

‘What should I eat first?’

The meal consisted of a creamy mushroom soup, a salmon salad, and freshly baked bread. The aroma of the food was enticing. After a moment’s deliberation, I picked up my spoon and took a bite of the mushroom soup. The rich, creamy flavor filled my mouth, and I savored it before cutting a piece of the bread and popping it into my mouth. Our chef’s bread-baking skills were truly top-notch.

As expected, eating made me feel better. I was sure I’d devour everything in no time. After all, I could always ask for more if I wanted, so I might as well enjoy it!

…But after only a few bites, I found myself putting my fork down.

“…What’s this?”

It was strange. I hadn’t even eaten a third of my usual portion, yet I couldn’t bring myself to eat any more. My stomach felt uneasy, and I was nauseous, even though I hadn’t eaten much. This was a first for me.

“Why can’t I eat?”

It wasn’t that I was full, and the food wasn’t bad. I just couldn’t bring myself to eat any more. Could I be sick? Did Giles do something to me? Some kind of spell to make me unable to eat, maybe…? But then again, Giles was in the swordsmanship department, not the magic department.

So what’s causing this?

“Um, Milady…”

When I crossed my arms and made a serious face, the young maid serving me cautiously spoke up. I turned to her, tilting my head in curiosity.

“What is it?”

“Well, I think the reason you’re having trouble eating is…”

The maid fidgeted with her fingers before timidly continuing.

“I think it’s just because you’ve lost your appetite.”

“Ah.”

It had never occurred to me because I’d never lost my appetite before. So that’s what it was… The food did look appetizing, but after a few bites, I just didn’t feel like eating anymore. Realizing this, I instructed the maid to clear the dishes.

“Milady, the Count has requested your presence.”

“…Understood.”

As I was wiping my mouth with a napkin, the same maid returned with the shocking news. My father rarely summoned me. It usually happened when he had something to scold me for or when he was particularly angry. I couldn’t help but wonder which it would be this time.

“I’ll be going in.”

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door to the study. My father’s indifferent voice came from inside. What would he say to me this time? My heart pounded as I pushed the door open.

“Have a seat.”

“Yes…”

I responded quietly and took a seat, trying to steady my nerves.

For once, my father invited me to sit before starting to speak. Normally, he would just say what he needed to, regardless of whether I was standing or sitting. I couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted this change.

“I heard you caused quite a scene at the party.”

Oh no. He had already heard. It wasn’t exactly a scene, more like a minor altercation, but I guess to my father, it was as if I had caused an uproar. I let out a deep sigh before responding.

“I was just helping a lady in distress.”

“…And how do you explain the rumors about you participating in the swordsmanship tournament?”

He heard about that too? This is maddening. I don’t know who’s spreading these rumors, but if I find out who it is, they won’t get off easy. Wiping away the small beads of sweat forming on my forehead, I forced an awkward smile.

“Well, um… you see…”

I rolled my eyes, desperately trying to come up with an excuse. But nothing came to mind, and I could only fidget with my fingers.

“You promised me that you wouldn’t cause any trouble while attending the academy.”

“…Yes.”

I was in deep trouble. My father was likely using this incident as an excuse to send me off to the countryside. Was I really going to end up living with Aunt Orton? That would be dreadful. Living with the infamous Aunt Orton was far worse than staying in this house forever. Actually, both options sounded terrible.

“Are you going to send me to Aunt Orton’s?”

“Well, that depends. It seems that’s up to Aunt Orton herself.”

“…What?”

What was that supposed to mean? I stared at my father, eyes wide with confusion. He handed me a small envelope. Glancing over it, I noticed it was quite elegant—likely sent by a high-ranking noble.

“What is this?”

“Open it and see.”

A sense of foreboding washed over me as I carefully tore open the envelope with trembling hands and pulled out the letter. The handwriting was neat and elegant, but the more I read, the faster my heart pounded.

“This is… Aunt Orton’s letter.”

The letter stated that she would be visiting the Count’s estate next week and instructed us to prepare for her arrival. Aunt Orton coming here in person carried significant implications—namely, that she intended to decide whether or not to take me back to her countryside estate.

In other words, I was doomed.