The Villainess Has No Regrets in this Life - Chapter 3

At his words, the siblings looked at Bershua with surprised expressions, and Leila also shifted her gaze towards him with a startled face.

Bershua approached Leila and seated her again in the chair right in front of father, where she had been sitting.

“If our dignity could fall from something like this, wouldn’t it be right for it to fall?”

Finally, after seating Leila in that chair, Bershua sat down in his designated seat next to Leila, and the other siblings seemed to watch Bershua’s reaction before quickly sitting down at the sound of Father’s approaching footsteps.

As Father entered the dining room, he alternately looked at Leila sitting in what was originally my seat and me, then sat down at the head of the table as if nothing was wrong.

Then he opened his mouth, glaring at me standing next to Leila.

“What are you doing standing there instead of sitting down quickly?”

Ha.

Yes, this is how it goes, right?

It’s already started, it has begun.

And so, I lost my seat to her just like that.

Only then could I understand the identity of those unknown sentences that had appeared before me yesterday.

I don’t know what it is, but someone might be watching this situation in the form of a novel.

What I’m seeing is probably something like reviews from people who have read that novel.

And those reviews seem to be hinting at the future, not the present.

Don’t the words I saw before my eyes yesterday match this situation so perfectly?

I kept thinking while eating.

Isn’t this ability given to me– a divine revelation to use it well and get back at them?

How can I turn this seat-stealing fight around to my advantage?

* * *

After dinner, I returned to my room and asked Mylene to bring me a few sheets of writing paper.

Then I started writing an invitation to my old friend Grace, who was very close to me around this time.

[Would you like to enjoy tea time at our house this weekend? If it’s okay, I’d like to invite your family members and treat you to dinner as well.]

By the way, Grace is one of the few people who believed in me until I was falsely accused, and one of the people I care about a lot.

I was confident that she would be on my side in this fight.

Oh, and for reference, Grace’s family is the incredibly ancient and famous ‘Posilia ducal family’ within the empire.

Where is this duchy… Well, it’s where the young duke that Leila falls in love with lives.

Based on my experience from my previous life, Leila falls in love with the young duke as soon as she sees him.

It would probably be more accurate to say she fell in love at first sight.

And at the moment when she falls in love at first sight with the young duke, I plan to give a little embarrassment to the people of the Masipacius family, including her.

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of making my haughty father and eldest brother look foolish.

After receiving a cheerful reply from Grace saying she would attend the tea time and dinner, I informed Father about the fact that the people from the Posilia family would be visiting the Masipacius mansion for dinner tomorrow, just one day before the weekend, so that Father couldn’t refuse this appointment.

Father frowned slightly when he learned this fact, but since Posilia is a family with considerable influence within the empire, he began preparing to welcome them without even having time to get annoyed at me.

The next day came, and Grace arrived at the Masipacius mansion earlier than her family to enjoy tea time.

“Grace!”

“Rowenloa!”

Seeing her youthful appearance after a long time, I ran out with a welcoming heart and grabbed her hand.

She also responded to my welcome with a smile.

Father smiled with satisfaction as he watched me and Grace.

He’s not satisfied with my smooth interpersonal relationships, but rather satisfied with my relationship with the Posilia family.

Well, that’s the kind of person he is.

A person who values money over blood ties, and family honor over love.

A person who values results more than cause and effect.

In fact, in my previous life, the third brother, who was intelligent but didn’t stand out much in business or political aspects, didn’t receive much affection from father.

So I still don’t understand why Father feels such great affection for Leila.
​
At this point, hasn’t Leila cast some kind of spell?

So, with a slightly bitter feeling, I took Grace’s hand and headed towards the greenhouse where we would have tea time.

But then, Father suddenly approached us.

“Lady Posilia, it’s an honor to have you visit the Marquis mansion like this.”

“I’m just grateful to be invited to the beautiful Masipacius mansion.”

As the two exchanged greetings, Leila, who had been hiding behind Father, revealed herself in front of us.

Even if he has affection for Leila, to bring a child he hasn’t even adopted yet to meet a ducal lady…

Well, I invited Grace anticipating this behavior.

“Who is that person? Looking at her attire, she doesn’t seem to be a maid of the Marquis mansion… Is she a child brought by a newly hired maid? I don’t think there was such a child when I came last time…”

Hearing Grace’s words, Leila looked at her with sparkling eyes for a moment, then soon became gloomy and hid behind Father again.

It would seem pitiful if you didn’t know better.

Father’s facial muscles twitched slightly at those words, but it seemed difficult for him to speak easily to Grace, a ducal lady so he just forced a smile.

“She’s a child Father brought from an orphanage recently.”

“Oh my, with wonderful brothers and Rowenloa, why from an orphanage…”

Grace looked alternately at Leila and me with an expression of not understanding.

“It seems Father’s heart softened when he saw that child’s injured leg. Grace, the tea will get cold. Let’s hurry and go have tea.”

So I left Father and Leila standing alone in the garden and moved towards the greenhouse, holding Grace’s hand.

And as soon as we sat down in the greenhouse, Grace began to pour out questions she couldn’t ask earlier because Father was there.

Grace and I were close enough friends that we could drop all honorifics and politeness when there was no one around.

“No, if she was brought from an orphanage, she’s just a commoner, right? But the Marquis cherishes her like that? Is it because she turned out to be an illegitimate child of a noble and received some incredible divine blessing or something?”

I shook my head at her words.

“No, then why on earth would that prickly Marquis…? What’s lacking in you, when you’re known for being pretty and smart, that he brought in a commoner girl…”

Hearing Grace’s words, I put on a gloomy expression.

“Maybe because I tend to be unexpressive and blunt… Perhaps Father isn’t satisfied with my behavior?”

It was also a reason I had genuinely thought about, not a lie.

Grace scoffed at those words.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Honestly, has Marquis Masipacius ever appreciated your efforts? When you first showed your talent at age 3, do you know how many business deals the Marquis secured thanks to His Majesty the Emperor applauding and saying a genius representing the empire was born?”

I nodded at Grace’s words.

I guess Father did benefit quite a lot from me.

“In this world, a capable daughter is much more useful than an affectionate one. Don’t you see how my mother selects noble young ladies in social circles?”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Grace’s words.

The Duchess of Posilia always invited outstanding young women who had debuted in society to her home whenever she attended balls hosted by the imperial family.

It was both to look after Grace’s future and because she believed that smart kids would rule the world.

And her predictions are almost never wrong.

In the future, perhaps thanks to the Duchess of Posilia’s schemes, Grace’s circle begins to overflow with young ladies and ladies who have made a name for themselves in their respective fields, and Grace used these people to protect me, who was always falsely accused.

Although she eventually drifts apart from me due to some incident involving the young duke…

I made up my mind once again that I must absolutely prevent such a thing from happening in this life.

“Surely they’re not really thinking of adopting her…?”

“It seems that both my brothers and Father feel affection for Leila’s behavior that they couldn’t see in me. I saw her talking and laughing with my brothers the other day. Maybe… it will be, soon?”

Grace frowned instead at my nonchalant words.

Then, as if angry, she put down her teacup with a loud thud.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t accept it. Absolutely not.”

Grateful for Grace’s behavior, I continued speaking while hiding my reddening eyes.

“Let’s stop talking about this. Oh, Grace, did you say you’re also enrolling in the academy?”

“Yes, my mother is making a fuss about it. She says I absolutely must be smart. She says that while childcare and education used to be everything, nowadays knowledge is everything… So…”

With that one comment from me, the flow of conversation completely changed, and we laughed and chatted for a long time, holding our stomachs, until just before dinner time.

* * *

Soon after the clock chimed 6 o’clock, Mylene’s voice was heard from outside the greenhouse door, announcing that the people from the Posilia family had arrived.

We left the greenhouse with reluctant hearts and moved towards the hall where they would be heading.

When we arrived at the hall, we could already see the people from the Posilia ducal family and the Masipacius family gathered and greeting each other.

“Sorry we’re late~”

With Grace’s cheerful greeting, we naturally joined the group.

“Oh my, my lady. It’s been a while! I was just thinking of inviting you to the Duchy, but I was so happy when you sent the invitation first.”

“Duchess Posilia, thank you for saying so. I’m more honored that you accepted the invitation.”