Chapter 64 - Battle of the Villainesses (4)
“Could you open the door…?”
“…”
Justia Yuri.
She stood in front of the door and appeared to be hiding something behind her back.
‘… Why has she come to see someone she doesn’t even know?’
Charlotte frowned. She was perplexed as she removed her eye from the peephole.
‘And what’s with those suspicious movements?’
Charlotte was naturally suspicious.
To survive the palace intrigues, she had to doubt everything around her and had seen countless people die because they were too trusting.
But now.
A woman filled with suspicion was asking to be let in, appearing to hide something behind her back.
‘Opening the door to a suspicious person is something only a fool would do. There’s no reason to open it.’
‘My life is the most precious thing to me.’
Charlotte glanced at the doorknob and shouted at the door.
She had no intention of opening it.
“Justia Yuri, right? Why did you come here?”
Immediately, Yuri’s small voice came through the door.
“I have something to ask… I asked other students as politely as possible… They said you might know well… So I came here… Could you open the door…? It might be more comfortable to talk inside… I think…”
“That’s a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
“My room is messy, and I don’t want to let anyone in.”
That was a lie.
Charlotte’s room was spotless, as if someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder lived there.
‘If she has any sense, she’ll leave now.’
Charlotte felt she had refused politely and was relieved.
However.
“I-I don’t mind…! I can tolerate a mess…! So could you open the door…? I’m just curious…”
“Ah.”
Charlotte realized then.
‘Justia Yuri. She has no sense.’
She might lack social skills.
Charlotte found it tiring to deal with someone like Yuri and rubbed her forehead.
She couldn’t stand people with a mind as blank as snow like Yuri.
Charlotte sighed and murmured.
“Ha, I’m not opening the door. But I’ll answer your question. What do you want to know?”
“I-I just… want to know.”
“Know what?”
“Who made Damian like that… I just want to know…”
“Damian?”
Charlotte was puzzled for a moment by the mention of Damian’s name.
However, as she thought further, she understood what Yuri wanted.
Being very suspicious and thoughtful, she could easily infer others’ thoughts.
And most decisively.
She knew exactly what Yuri was after.
Charlotte believed this ability to be her advantage over others. She raised the corners of her mouth and asked in a haughty tone.
“You want to know who left those marks on Damian’s neck, right?”
“Yes… I want to know… That’s my question… If it was you, it’d be nice if you could open the door…”
“… It wasn’t me.”
Charlotte instinctively denied it was her, feeling that something significant might happen if she didn’t.
‘But why does she want to know? What’s she planning to do with that suspicious behavior?’
Knowing more would help her survive better.
To understand Yuri’s intentions, Charlotte delved deeper into the question.
“Why do you want to know who hurt Damian’s neck?”
“It’s because…! I want to take revenge…!”
“Revenge?”
“Yes…! I can’t just sit still when my best friend is hurt…! If my best friend is hurt, I have to take revenge…! That’s the right thing to do…!”
“Really?”
Charlotte closed her eyes tightly.
The right thing to do.
The thing that must be done.
She knew well that people who talked like that were never normal.
Therefore, Charlotte decided not to deal with Yuri any longer.
Her head started to ache.
‘The knife behind her back could be used on me. I might as well tell her the truth and let her handle it.’
Verdium Nadia.
That woman was also an obstacle to her plans.
She had been too arrogant in front of the princess of Orsia.
Charlotte wore a victor’s smile and decided to answer truthfully.
“First-year student in the Fine Arts department, Nadia Verdium. She’s the one who hurt Damian’s neck. No one saw it, but when they went out into the hallway, Damian had handprints on his neck when they returned. It’s clear she did it. If you want revenge, go after her. I have nothing to do with it.”
“Nadia… The artist girl… Got it… It wasn’t as difficult as with the others… Thanks for telling me… Charlotte…! Well, I’ll be going now…!”
Having obtained important information, Yuri turned to leave immediately.
At that moment.
‘Wasn’t as difficult as with the others?’
Charlotte asked one last question, curious.
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes…?”
“I have something to ask too. What are you hiding behind your back?”
“Oh, this…?”
With an awkward smile, Yuri revealed what she had been hiding.
Through the peephole, Charlotte confirmed that her intuition was correct.
Yuri was indeed a dangerous woman.
“It’s just… a small kitchen knife.”
“… Why are you carrying that?”
“I’m not good at asking questions… So, if they didn’t answer… I planned to use it to intimidate them… I’ve done it with other people… It worked well…”
“… Ever consider just talking?”
“I’m not good at talking to anyone except Damian… This seemed more convenient!”
“… You’re right. Talking with you is a headache.”
Charlotte nodded in agreement.
‘Indeed, this girl has no talent for conversation.’
Therefore.
She never wanted to get involved with her again.
With a final goodbye, Charlotte distanced herself from Yuri.
Hearing Yuri’s departing footsteps, she felt a bit relieved about her safety.
Charlotte lay on her bed, expressing her desires.
“Hehe, I wonder how things will turn out. For my own safety, I hope at least one of them disappears.”
“…”
Her reflection in the mirror could only look at her with pity.
***
A day passed.
Then two days.
Even as days continued to pass.
As I had predicted.
Yuri did not seem to ask other students about the person responsible for the handprints.
Fortunately, nothing happened at the academy.
It was a relief. Especially since there were only a few episodes left in this arc.
‘Aside from the rumor that Yuri threatened her classmates with a knife, nothing major happened.’
Surely.
That rumor couldn’t be true.
I didn’t put much stock in the rumors circulating at the academy.
Because there were also absurd rumors about Yuri.
“Did you hear that? Justia Yuri, the one on the same level as the Crown Prince, apparently got in through bribery?”
“Really? I knew it! How could that gloomy girl be on the same level as the Crown Prince? The rumors about her being strong must be fake too, right?”
“Probably! I bet she used the influence of her grand duke family!”
Listening to the excited chatter of students in the hallway, it was clear.
They could spin one story into two or three.
So, the rumor about Yuri threatening classmates with a knife must also be false.
“They probably just got scared by Yuri’s gloomy demeanor and started spreading rumors. There’s no way she got in through bribery. It must be false.”
As if Yuri would threaten anyone with a knife.
Especially since I told her not to fight.
Having witnessed Yuri’s strength firsthand, I knew for certain that she didn’t get in through bribery.
We even prepared for the written exam together.
There was no way she resorted to bribery.
She didn’t even have the money for that.
I was confident I wouldn’t believe any rumors about Yuri committing murder either.
“Actually, she did commit murder once.”
“Huh…? What did you say, Damian…?”
“Oh, nothing. I didn’t say anything.”
“R-really…?”
She startled me by suddenly appearing.
At a time when we should usually be sitting in class.
Yuri and I were outside the academy.
With a large backpack on our backs.
And we participated in the academy’s traditional field trip.
We were participating in the field trip of the original’s second episode.
“Whose idea was it to gather the academy’s nobles and make them camp in the forest?”
“Uh, right… But…! I’m happy as long as I’m with you, Damian…!”
Yuri was needlessly positive.
In truth, this field trip episode was meant to develop the relationship between the protagonist and the Crown Prince.
As I mentioned before, the scariest thing in this world was a person with supernatural abilities and ancient creatures living in the mountains.
In this field trip, the protagonist faced danger and the Crown Prince saved her, deepening their love and dependence on each other.
However, there was a separate reason why I needed to be on guard even though I was not the protagonist.
The survival of the villainesses also hinged on this story.
‘In the original, the protagonist falls into danger because Bluebell mischievously leads her in the wrong direction and Charlotte drops her into a place where an ancient creature lives for her plans.’
So, should I monitor those two to prevent them from causing trouble?
No. That was not enough.
Because unlike the original, there were now two more villainesses in the academy.
I have to ensure that none of the villainesses cause any trouble.
I must.
I was the only one who knew they were like bombs ready to destroy the world.
I was the only one who could save these mentally tormented individuals.
‘In this vast forest where no one would notice if someone disappeared, I have to cleverly control the villainesses.’
Determined, I and Yuri walked towards the carriage as guided by professors.
And then.
“Get on the carriage!”
With the professor’s call to board.
“Move aside. I’m taking this carriage.”
“Everyone, get lost! This is my spot! Get lost! I have to get on this carriage! Damian is in there! Move immediately!”
The villainesses joined us.
The carriage, which could seat four, was boarded by Nadia and Bluebell, who pushed other students aside to sit with Yuri and me.
‘This could be a big problem…’
We would be stuck together in the carriage for approximately two hours.
Three villainesses and me in the same carriage.
Yuri, who had already sat beside me, stared at Nadia opposite her and muttered to herself.
“Today… might be the chance to get revenge when we’re alone… I’ve been waiting… I can do this… right…?”
What?
“What did you just say? Yuri?”
“Oh, nothing… Nothing at all…”
Yuri mumbled, evading the question just like me.
She seemed to have said something, but her voice was too small to hear clearly.
Bluebell sneered and mocked her.
“Did you get into the academy through bribery? Your voice is so pathetically small. Is your fighting spirit weak too?”
“I-I don’t make loud fighting sounds… It’s embarrassing…”
“I wasn’t talking to you! So, don’t respond!”
“Then who were you talking to—”
“Shut up! I said don’t respond!”
“…”
It seemed like today’s carriage ride would be quite noisy.
In a bad way.
I sighed and resigned myself to this situation.
I decided to think of it as my karma.
“Hey Damian, why aren’t you sitting next to me?”
“You arrived late.”
“You should’ve woken me up earlier! I’m getting sick of the paint smell here!”
“I wish the side would be quieter. Damian, tell that penniless girl to shut up. You’re going to be mine soon anyway. You can do that for me, right?”
“I think everyone should be quiet so Damian can rest… Especially the artist girl…”
“… Sigh.”
The carriage wheels rolled noisily.
They turned and headed towards the scene of the event.
Accompanied by rumble and chaos.