I wondered if I would feel any turmoil when it finally happened in front of me, but in reality, I felt nothing. With a sense of calm, I stepped forward toward the prince, thinking, “So it’s begun.”
“May I ask for the reason?”
“Of course! It’s because you bullied Mary!!”
Me, bullying the heroine?
As I was questioning that, Ian’s accusations continued relentlessly.
“You tore up Mary’s textbooks and threw them away, pushed her down the stairs, hid her gym clothes, and lied about appointments to stop her from meeting me.”
And so on, and so on...
Hmm, I have no recollection of committing any of these crimes. But, in the game, the villainess definitely did these things. So, in that sense, I’m familiar with them, but I haven’t been involved at all in this life.
I shifted my gaze away from Ian, who was endlessly condemning me, and glanced at Mary. Behind Ian, trembling, Mary looked like the epitome of a delicate noble lady.
Is this the so-called "force of the game"? After finally finishing his tirade, Ian puffed out his chest and delivered his final statement.
“That’s the reason! If you have anything to say in your defense, I’ll at least hear it!”
A defense, huh? Would he even listen to anything I said? Actually, it’s not really about him—it’s probably more of an issue with the game itself.
While I hesitated, Ian must have taken my silence as acceptance. He sharply pointed at me and declared,
“I can’t stand to look at the face of someone who chases after men! Someone, take her away!!”
Wow, that wasn’t in the game. Quite a bombshell to drop at the end there. Who’s chasing after men? I’d rather not hear that from someone who’s cheating on his fiancée with another woman.
Sigh... I knew this was coming, but to think my life would end over something so trivial. I wish I could have lived more freely for a bit longer.
The guards, looking apologetic, moved to restrain me following Ian’s command. But at that moment...
“Brother, please wait.”
A shadow appeared before me, and I saw a familiar figure standing between Ian and me.
It was Louis Midford, Ian’s younger brother by a year and the second prince. He also attends our academy, but he’s not a character in the game.
“Prince Louis?”
“You really are terrible at asserting yourself, aren’t you?”
Huh? What’s he talking about?
I stared blankly at Louis, not understanding, but he just smiled and turned to face his brother.
“What is the meaning of this, Louis?”
“I should be asking you that. What are you doing at such a grand event with so many people present?”
“Precisely because there are many people present—it’s important. The more witnesses, the better, right?”
Witnesses for the annulment, huh? I suppose having more is better, but I’m not really sure. Maybe it just makes the scene look more dramatic? More impactful?
While I’m off having this strange realization, the conversation between the two brothers continues.
“Indeed, the more witnesses, the better. Anyone who can testify to Lady Margaret’s innocence or believes in her innocence, please come forward.”
At Louis’ words, many adults in the audience moved to stand behind us. I had to do a double-take, no, a triple-take, at the sheer number of them.
Louis, however, didn’t seem surprised at all and carried on with his next question.
“Now, anyone who believes the words of my brother and Lady Mary, please stand by my brother’s side.”
This time, almost no one moved. Only the characters who had been with Ian from the beginning stepped forward slightly.
Even Ian seemed shocked at this. He widened his eyes and scanned the room.
“Are you all being bribed by Louis!?”
That’s what he came up with.
“There’s no need for such a thing. What everyone here believes is that the accusations you made earlier are impossible for Lady Margaret to have committed. And it seems there are no witnesses to support your claims, correct?”
There was no one around Ian except the capture targets, which essentially meant that no one had witnessed any of the crimes he accused me of.
Still, I’m a villainess who’s lived as she pleased. It wouldn’t be strange if some people who oppose me sided with the prince… So why is there such a difference in numbers?
Curious, I glanced again at the people standing behind me. I recognized the regulars from my tea parties. They’ve been with me all this time, so they’d know I didn’t have the time or opportunity to bully anyone.
Besides them, there were a lot of adults. Oh, I spotted my father. The rest must be the parents of my tea party attendees. But even with that, it seems like too many people… What’s going on?
Of course, there are those who haven’t taken a side. Most of the students, in fact, seemed unsure of which side to stand with, frozen in place.
But still, isn’t the number of adults behind me a bit excessive?
“There’s no way! They wouldn’t side with you without being bribed!” Ian exclaimed, clearly frustrated.
I understand. Honestly, I’m the most confused about why so many people are here.
While I nodded in agreement with Ian, Louis let out an exasperated sigh.
“You really should work on your low self-esteem. Isn’t that right, Marquis Nuttall?”
Called upon by Louis, my father stepped up to stand beside me.
“Absolutely. Though she is my daughter, I have no idea how she ended up so indifferent to her surroundings.”
For some reason, even my father was giving me a disappointed look. But what am I supposed to say? After all, I’m just a villainess. I’ll be executed eventually, so there’s no need to care about anything.
Realizing that reasoning with me would be pointless, my father turned to face Ian.
“With all due respect, Your Highness, if you find my daughter to be unnecessary, then surely the clothes you are wearing are also unnecessary.”
“What?”
“Oh, and the dress of the young lady behind you as well. These garments are the result of my daughter’s efforts. It would be inappropriate for the two of you, who hold such disdain for her, to continue wearing them.”
“Eh?”
What is Father talking about? I don’t remember doing anything like that.
…While I was pondering this, a volley of support came from behind me.
“That’s right, that silk used in those clothes comes from my territory! It’s only because Lady Margaret approved it that we could sell it in the royal capital again!!”
“And the lace on that dress! It’s a traditional pattern from my village. I intended it as a gift for Lady Margaret, and yet, I can’t believe this!”
“And the jewels! Scattering small gemstones too tiny for jewelry across a dress was Lady Margaret’s idea! It’s you who’s bullying Lady Margaret!!”
Ah… I see. Now that they mention it, I do remember.
The silk from the viscount’s estate that provided the napkins for my tea party—its texture was so fine that I immediately asked Father to buy handkerchiefs and other personal items made from it.
Since I liked it so much, my family started using it as well, and now we’re all hooked on it. I’ve heard Mother placed a large order for fabric for dresses, and thanks to the Nuttall marquis family’s endorsement, it’s spread throughout high society.
Though I can’t see it clearly from here, the lace on Mary’s dress resembles the lace from the tablecloth I once admired. I liked it so much that I had ribbons made from it.
It was so adorable that I used it every day. When I wore it to a tea party hosted by the Queen, it caught her attention. I ended up having more made and gave them to her as a birthday present.
Since that tea party was hosted by the Queen, it was in front of many ladies. If rumors spread from that, it wouldn’t be surprising.
0 Comments