A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 24.1
A familiar ceiling greeted me.
It was my room in the ducal mansion.
‘My room?’
I shuddered and reflexively denied it.
Waking up from that dream, it felt like I’d just fallen into another one.
The despair of being stuck in this novel as ‘Edith’, the pity I’d felt for Edith in the dream, the anger toward Dylan…
All sorts of emotions churned and tangled my thoughts.
‘…It’s not just a dream, right?’
I couldn’t help but admit it to myself.
The scene that had just played out so vividly had really been something Edith experienced.
If it were just a dream, there’s no way I would remember it so clearly even after waking up.
The past of a villainess and a male lead, a story that hadn’t appeared in the novel.
‘I thought Edith just bossed him around for her own convenience…’
Remembering how close the two had seemed left me with a strange feeling.
‘So that’s why it was so natural for him to call me by name.’
They were the same age, and shockingly, Edith actually seemed to have relied on her own servant quite a bit.
Who knows what happened before, but after Dylan came to the ducal mansion, Edith was probably the only one he could depend on…
As I pondered this, the next scene floated to mind, and I frowned.
— I said I plan to propose to Llewellyn.
— Please, don’t order me around like this anymore.
‘Is this what people mean by ‘how someone acts before and after they go to the bathroom are different’?’
It was honestly infuriating.
No matter how high-handed Edith had been, she was at least his benefactor in her own way.
Was it really necessary for him to propose to the woman she hated most, just to get back at her?
And why come tell her in person?
And now, as soon as his status rose a little, he had the nerve to refer to her as ‘Lady Blake’!
But in Tollen, didn’t he shamelessly call her by name?
“Tsk, tsk. This is why you’re not supposed to take in black-haired beasts…”
Ah, not black-haired, but red-haired, I guess?
As I clicked my tongue and muttered to myself…
Thud!
A dull noise rang out, and then—
“S-Sorry, Milady!”
“Nancy…?”
Startled, I lifted my head to see my maid, kneeling not far from the bed.
“What are you doing there?”
“Y-You can scold me or hit me, but please don’t kick me out!”
Nancy bowed her round head, pleading desperately.
Of all things, her hair was a very dark brown, almost black.
‘She must have heard me…’
How awkward.
I sat up and spoke kindly.
“I wasn’t talking about you. You can get up now.”
“B-But…”
But Nancy didn’t rise.
After a moment’s hesitation, she squeezed her eyes shut and confessed.
“The Duke asked who gave you a maid’s uniform, so I told him it seemed like you took it yourself while I was distracted!”
“…Ah.”
Only then did I realize I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten back to the ducal mansion.
‘I remember being chased by the corrupted in Tollen, meeting Dylan, arguing with him…’
— I’ll escort you back to the ducal estate.
— I’ll send for a carriage right away.
His irritating voice still echoed in my ears.
And after that, my memory was blank.
I must have fainted and passed out.
“…Damn it.”
“S-Sorry, my lady! I’m really sorry!”
Nancy trembled violently at my muttered curse.
“But… The butler tattled to the Duke that you always threaten the servants, so I had no choice!”
“……”
“I thought if I honestly told him you asked me for a maid uniform, it would make things worse…”
“Enough. You did fine. No need to make more excuses, Nancy.”
“A-Ah, Milady…”
“I won’t hit you or kick you out, so just get up.”
At my words, Nancy finally stood up, looking deeply moved.
Honestly, being found out for sneaking out wasn’t the important thing.
Pressing my fingers to my temples, I asked,
“Was it Count Frederick who brought me back?”
“Huh? Yes… Dylan— Ah, I mean, the Count himself carried you all the way up to the second floor.”
“Shit!”
Nancy gasped at my harsh outburst.
But this time, I couldn’t comfort her.
‘That bastard! Did he want to announce to everyone that the troublemaker from the Duchy had gone out and caused a scene again?’
If he’d had even a shred of consideration, he should have just left me at the front gate.
Or called someone trustworthy to sneak me back in…
But then again, there was probably no one trustworthy in this house.
Dylan definitely knew about Edith’s situation, and it would’ve been impossible for Nancy or Eston to move me in secret.
‘No matter how it happened, it would have ended badly.’
With that, I let out a deep sigh.
It was pointless to take it out on anyone.
After all, it was my own fault for collapsing in the first place.
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