A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 37.1
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READ ONLY AT VANISHINTOFICTION.COM
I hurried down the stairs after escaping from Llewellyn’s room.
Though my legs kept buckling under me like a newborn fawn, I clenched my teeth and forced myself up again and again.
‘I have to get away before that lunatic wakes up…!’
Even so, hitting him with the stool was the right call a hundred times over.
But it did have the fatal downside of possibly waking that monster up.
— Ugh……
Startled by the trembling eyes and low groan, I’d tossed aside the stool and dashed out.
‘Normally, if you get hit that hard, you’re supposed to pass out. How can he wake up after getting smashed in the head?’
By the time I was grumbling to myself, I’d finally reached the first floor.
Thankfully, I didn’t run into anyone as I slipped quietly out the back door and hurried down the corridor.
Feeling a bit relieved, I hurried across the hallway… Only to suddenly catch sight of my reflection in the outer window and gape in shock.
“…Good grief.”
My makeup was a mess, the neatly styled hair now in wild disarray.
My eyes were bloodshot and swollen from burst capillaries, my neck covered in red scratches from my own nails.
I looked utterly deranged.
“Ha…”
I stopped for a moment, let out a deep sigh, and finally let my hair down.
The soft blonde strands tumbled down like a waterfall, covering my waist.
It was a messy, unkempt look totally unfitting for a party, but there was nothing I could do.
All I could manage was to cover as much of my face and neck as possible with my long hair.
‘I need to get back to the ducal residence and have Eston heal me.’
I was in no state to return to the ballroom and pretend nothing had happened. Not that I had the energy left to do so anyway.
In truth, the satisfaction and thrill of having gotten revenge on Male Lead #4 didn’t last long.
My body was in too poor a shape for that alone to sustain me.
My throat burned inside and out, and I still felt nauseous from overusing my abilities.
‘At this rate, I might collapse again.’
I gave a bitter little laugh.
It was painfully obvious now, as Male Lead #4 had said, that Edith’s body was as delicate as glass, a product of being raised too gently.
‘How could someone like this possibly kidnap anyone?’
With my head lowered, trying to hide my face, I shuffled on.
I had just reached the end of the hallway and turned the corner when—
Thud!
Maybe because I’d been staring at the ground, I ran straight into someone.
“Ugh…!”
“Careful…!”
Thankfully, the other person grabbed me quickly, keeping me from falling.
“Edith?”
But at the familiar voice that followed, any gratitude I might have felt vanished without a trace.
‘Of all people…’
How could things go this wrong?
The person I’d run into was none other than—
“…Brother.”
Male Lead #1, Ethan Blake.
“What happened to you…”
Seeing my state, he flinched, his eyes widening.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘Today is just unbelievably unlucky.’
It wasn’t enough to be tortured by Male Lead #4, now I’d gotten caught by the one person who absolutely shouldn’t see me like this.
Stunned, I gently pulled my arm from Ethan’s grasp.
“Thank you for catching me. Please pretend you didn’t see anything. Excuse me.”
I bowed my head politely and tried to walk past him.
I would have, if not for his chilly voice stopping me.
“…Who did you fight with this time?”
“……?”
Fight? What fight?
His tone, so full of certainty, made anger rise in my chest.
But I pressed it down and answered calmly.
“I didn’t fight anyone.”
I was just tortured, that’s all.
I added in a hoarse voice,
“…I’m really tired, so could we talk about it later?”
“Tell me now. Don’t make things worse by putting it off.”
“I said I didn’t fight anyone.”
“Then why do you look like that?”
“I just fell down by myself.”
At my half-hearted excuse, he immediately frowned deeply.
“…Are you trying to make sure Father hears about this?”
At that, I let out a heavy sigh.
Why is everyone so desperate to threaten me these days?
“Do as you please.”
I replied indifferently and tried to move on, but suddenly—
Whip!
A strong hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
“Ah…!”
For a moment, my vision spun. I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them to see…
“How long are you going to keep acting like a child?”
Ethan, glaring at me, his blue eyes tinged with fury.
“Who told you to cover things up yourself? I said I’d handle it, just tell me what happened. Is that so hard to understand?”
“And what are you going to do if you know?”
“Go apologize, reach a settlement, do whatever’s necessary.”
“And why would you be the one to do that?”
“That side?”
At my words, he let out a cold, incredulous laugh.
But I was completely serious.
‘And what exactly are you going to do if you go there?’
How was he supposed to cover up the fact that I’d knocked out the Emperor’s half-brother and only Grand Duke with a stool?
I just looked at him with tired eyes, and Ethan spat out bitterly:
“So you’ve lost your memory, but your rotten nature hasn’t changed at all.”
“……”
“If you don’t want me cleaning up after you, go tell your father yourself. Get yourself struck off the family register, or deal with your mess however you like…”
Beeeeep—
It was at that moment.
Suddenly, a horrible ringing filled my ears, and another voice overlapped Ethan’s.
― ……What can you do? It was your father who put me on the family register even though I didn’t want it. Go ahead and tell him. Say, ‘Look at what he’s done to me, please disown him.’
― But do you really think that man would ever believe you?
“Ah…!”
With a short groan, I clapped my free hand over one ear.
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